There was a time in my life when I was unwilling to surrender. The noise of my desires and the chaos of the details left me spinning like a top. Disoriented and alone, I grew more and more discouraged each day.
It was as if I was in my own rowboat, saying goodbye to the safety of the shore … determined to navigate the ocean alone with my two oars. Certain and sure, devastation and heartache would be ahead.
I rowed anyway, believing that the island I had come to know would never be able to satisfy. I thrashed and wrestled through the journey while I rowed, desperate and exposed.
I don’t think any one of us who is broken intentionally chooses to break.
Most often it’s the consequences of the situation that break us. But perhaps once we’re broken, there are times when we are the ones who prolong our own mending, sometimes because we’re too selfish, too angry, too ignorant, or too proud.
I love the chapters for this week, because I found them to be so interconnected and full of hope.
That God can take the very place of our pain, our threshing floor, and turn it into beauty.
That He never leaves us, even in the darkest moments of our brokenness. His presence is near and He is singing over us with love.
And He wants to heal us and make us whole and new, if we want Him to.
He is never distant. He always sees.
He sees us in our lowest pits, and it is Him who is willing to reach down to save us. He longs to initiate our rescue … if we ask Him to.
The mending always begins upon the surrender. ← Click to Tweet
And the surrender brings a freedom our hearts have been longing for.
Freedom from hurt and guilt and shame.
Freedom from resentment and regret.
Freedom from trying to control everything … and freedom from the exhaustion that brings.
All we have to do is surrender … to ask Him to begin to mend us and make us new.
And He does.
I know.
The day His life boat pulled up next to mine, and I surrendered my oars to Him, everything changed.
He is God and He is close.
He sees and He knows.
And He is near, ready for the surrender.
Come today … be free and be mended.
Today, my friend Denise is sharing in more depth about our reading for this week.
Please hop over to read her encouraging words.
May you know how very much you are loved.
When in your life have you needed to surrender?
What happened in the mending?
Here’s the schedule for the coming weeks…
April 11 – Chapters 23-25 :: Denise
April 18 – Chapters 26-28 :: Tracie
April 25 – Chapters 29-31 :: Concluding Thoughts
*Photo Credit: Tom Gill, Flickr Creative Commons **Linking with Denise and Ann
This is so lovely – reminds me of a Psalm I wrote many years ago called ‘Who has the oars’ – link above. Thank you I needed that reminder right now 🙂