Surrender

My friend, Mindi, inspired me to sit down and write again. I will not bore any of you with my excuses. I'll just write!

I just read something interesting. And I quote, "God expects us to surrender to Him. When we look at everything God has made, we might see what could help us to understand. The sun, the stars, the flowers, the trees--they are all in His power."

Let me pause here. I started thinking about the things in nature. They really don't have ANY choice about anything, do they? Trees are made to drop their seeds. Seedlings grow wherever they fall--good or bad soil, doesn't matter. Birds migrate, make nests, raise their young, migrate, die...all because that's what they're programmed to do. Flowers bloom wherever they are planted. Hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, drought...comes and goes, but nature doesn't have a choice as to what it's subjected to. And surprisingly enough...it lives on--just as it is programmed to do!

We, as humans, are the only creatures with CHOICE! We can do, or say, or be, or....anything we choose to do or say or be....We can choose to get up in the morning if we want, we can choose to drink or eat too much, we can choose to love or to hate, to hold a grudge or forgive, to open ourselves up to God or shove Him away. We can choose to surrender our lives to His Power or not!

I have been thoroughly enjoying a little flower garden that I've planted (with lots of help) along the front of the our house. Every morning, I walk out beside it to see what new thing might be poking it's head up out of the ground. When the irises were blooming, I was thrilled! I couldn't get enough with staring down inside the flowers to enjoy all the varying colors represented in one bloom.

And...I'm much, much more motivated to keep it weeded now. I won't begin to tell you what a mess it was last year...no flowers, a few bushes and hundreds of weeds! If my flower garden is going to look beautiful, it's my responsibility to maintain the upkeep of it. Doesn't God do that with us? He's asked us to surrender to His Will...to bloom where we are planted...to respond to His Care! Won't He care for us more than I would for a few irises and hostas?

I think that I often live as if I don't believe that's true! I get frustrated, angry, grumpy, lazy...and bury myself in pursuits that are meaningless! I forget that the Lord is leaning over me...gazing into my life and experiencing great pleasure at colors that I don't realize I have! As I come out of myself--quit focusing on silly, negative thoughts and turn my face to the Son...Surrender to Him becomes more and more of a great adventure!

And that's what we all want...purpose and adventure in our short time here on earth. We have no idea what awaits us on the other side of death! We get glimpses of heaven as we read about it in the Bible, but who wants to live a purposeless and mindless life here and now?

I think I'll be a Daylily today! (those are the next flowers in my garden to bloom!) I wonder what color or colors will pop out as I quit thinking about myself and start thinking about those around me, but most of all about the One who is the great love of my life!