Category: Surrender

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Family, Just do it, Memories, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Worship, Yield

The Room Under the Stairs

When I was a child we lived many of my early years in a four-family apartment building. My mother owned it and we rented out the other 3 apartments. Each unit was 2 bedroom, 1 bath. We had a paved driveway to play on. It ran along the side of the building, (a great place to play with a pinky ball or hopscotch) and a lower parking lot where we could ride bikes. The other side of the building had a strip of garden where I could find bugs and honeybees to experiment upon.

One of my favorite places was the closet under the stairs. In the basement, which at times flooded, there was a closet where my parents stored paint for the apartments. Due to the flooding there was a fragrance of dried mud on concrete. This closet had a door that could be locked from the inside and one light bulb. I would often go in there to hide from my family. I would turn over a paint can to use for a stool. Eventually I began swiping birthday cake candles to use in there so I could turn off the light. I had no idea I could have set the place ablaze with candles and paint cans!

Over time I began using thumbtacks to put up pictures of Jesus on the wall studs from various family funerals. The only person I showed the place to was my best friend Dana. Other than that it was private.

Recently during a Soul Collage retreat I was reminded of that secret place. Looking back I realized it was my early place of refuge and inspiration. For this collage, I tried to find a photo of a paint can. The only one I found was silly with polka dots on top of red paint.

The images each represent something to me. Clockwise from 11:00, they represent the Holy Spirit by the figure in the white cowl. The stained glass the church. The paper with words and the pencil, writing to His glory. The stream in the center is the Living Water. The candle for the basement closet with the paint can. The open hand, yielding to the Trinity. In one form or another all these things occurred or began in the secret worship place.

What is the foundation of your faith? Did you have spiritual formation in a secret place?

I once read The Secret Garden by Burnett. This quote sums up these ideas for me.

“Where you tend a rose my lad, a thistle cannot grow.”
― Francis Hodgson Burnett

I do not think Father God waits until the last moment to call and transform us. I believe He begins early in our life and continues until we answer the call to come to Him. Jesus said that in the book of John.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. John 6:44 NIV

So much of our faith is formed and prospers in private.

Return to the Lord and find your resting place in Him. Surrender to the call upon your soul and spirit.

Posted on in Aging, Faith, Illness and Health, Journal, medical treatment, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Yield

Hard to Pray, but Possible!

Wherever Your glory be best served,
whenever, however; there, then, and
in that state let me Your servant be;
only hide not from me Your divine love.

Help me to trust You to the uttermost.

Teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give, and not to count the cost;
to fight, and not to heed the wounds;
to toil, and not to look for rest;
to labor, and not to ask for reward
save that of knowing 
that I am doing Your will.

-Saint Ignatius Loyola’s prayer of dedication


This sums up life for me!

Posted on in Challenge, Collection of Quotes, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Music, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Thanks, Trust, Yield

Verses For Your Consideration

In light of yesterday’s post about the Ascension of Christ I want to share some Scriptures with you.

 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. Mark 16:19 NKJV

This is Luke’s account of when Jesus faced the Sanhedrin. He declares His future place with the Father.

As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 “If You are the Christ, tell us.”

But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.” LUKE 22:66-69 NKJV

So yes, the Lord is with us now through the Holy Spirit but He also has a place of authority with the Father.

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34 NIV

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 NIV

Ponder these things! They are the foundations of our faith of resurrection and ascension.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.  It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 1 Peter 3:18-22 NIV

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Hebrews 8:1, 10:12 NIV

Jesus has accomplished for us a gift higher than we ever could have imagined in our longing for the heavenly places.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3:1 NIV

Stephanie Gretzinger sums it up beautifully for me with this lovely hymn by Graham Kendrick.

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Music, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Worship, Yield

Heard This Song Last Sunday

It moved me to tears. Perhaps in the simplicity? The powerful truth? I pray you are blessed as I was. I have been listening to it repeatedly. Maybe you would benefit from that also?

I will come to you in the silence
I will lift you from all your fear
You will hear My voice
I claim you as My choice
Be still, and know I am near

I am hope for all who are hopeless
I am eyes for all who long to see
In the shadows of the night,
I will be your light
Come and rest in Me

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am strength for all the despairing
Healing for the ones who dwell in shame
All the blind will see, the lame will all run free
And all will know My name

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

I am the Word that leads all to freedom
I am the peace the world cannot give
I will call your name, embracing all your pain
Stand up, now, walk, and live

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

Do not be afraid, I am with you
I have called you each by name
Come and follow Me
I will bring you home
I love you and you are mine

Album: You Are Mine/Best of David Haas Vol. 2

Released: 1995

Will you allow the Almighty to love you in this way? If not now, then when? I think these lyrics were truly inspired by God.

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Surrender, Trust, Yield

Have You Prayed This?

In this day and age most of us have heard of the “Serenity Prayer.” I wonder if you have read or prayed the prayer in its entirety as it was originally written?

The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.


Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.


Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it be,


Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will,
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen

Makes it different when you read the whole thing, doesn’t it? Thank you Reinhold for your contribution to our faith.

Should you want more information, there is a very long article on Wikipedia about his life, his beliefs and his service as a Pastor and Educator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhold_Niebuhr

“… trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.”

That expresses a truckload of trust. Can you trust that much? Has God proven Himself trustworthy in your life, even if you did not get exactly what you wanted? Have you surrendered at each turn and twist as life unfolds?

“Reasonable happy in this life and SUPREMELY happy with Him forever in the next.”

I say Amen to those sentiments. Serenity, acceptance, courage, wisdom, living, enjoying, accepting, taking, trusting, surrender. Mr. Niebuhr (or is it Pastor, Professor?) presents us with things we can actually DO. Many people accuse Christianity of too many “Thou shalt nots.” These are things you are to do.

And we will, with God’s help!