Walking in Surrender

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
In his presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my Blessed Savior,
I surrender all.*



I grew up knowing the words by heart, singing them with the passion only a child-like heart can possess.

Do you remember the first day of true surrender to Jesus? I do. Having known him and, in a simple and shallow way, loved him since before I could remember, my first day of real surrender happened when I was 30.  I had lived a lot of life under my own direction, but that day, very clear in my memory, I began the journey into walking in surrender.

I remember thinking of that moment as a marker for many years after. Yes, I HAVE surrendered my life to my Savior. It is done. But, no. It isn't done. Surrender happens in layers, with every moment of decision, with the worries of day-to-day life, with the devastating and the small. Surrender happens when I choose not to obsess, when I make decisions that are counter-cultural, focused on God's economy. And just when I think I've surrendered one or another area in my life, the next layer becomes clear. There is always more that I must surrender.

To yield. Just to yield. That is my heart's desire. All the while my heart fights back, along with my body and my mind and all my humanness. Paul's battle is my own.

"For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Romans 7:18b (NIV)

As it turns our, everyday is another opportunity just to walk in surrender.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at his feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.*

* I Surrender All - hymn written by Judson W. Van DeVenter

Free Journal!

All you blogging friends, take a look at Kristi's blog today. She is offering a free journal to anyone who will share on their blog about what they are up to in Uganda with The Akiru Project. 

So ... tell the world!

Photo courtesy of Lynnette Hunter @ tenaciouslace.blogspot.com (check out her etsy store as well!)

Rain

Check out Kristi's post

Akiru: rain

for the story of how they began Akiru in Uganda, and where they are today.

Kristi's sister and brother-in-law are dear to me, and the reason that a part of my heart is in Karamoja.

Happy Independence Day!

It is the 4th of July. In 1776, a group of brave, slightly reckless men signed a document declaring freedom from tyranny, freedom from king and country. They sought the freedom to rule themselves, and in their wisdom and courage, they created a nation.

The story that followed was one of men and women choosing sides. They determined where their hearts and consciences were leading them, and fought to the end. For some, the end was their final breath. Some knew victory. Others saw an end of defeat. But ultimately, a country knew its freedom.

What about today? Do we still live in freedom, or have we given ourselves over to a new and different tyranny? It is not a new question, yet one that still deserves thought. Whether you live in the "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave" or not, are you truly free?

Regardless of the rules and regulations that control my body, I know my mind, my heart, and my soul can forever be free. Easy for me to say. I've never lived in bondage. It is not my goal to diminish the experiences of those who have.

My point instead is that I make my own bondage of spirit sometimes often.

• Suffocating under too much stuff
• Succumbing to the "SHOULDS" (I wrote about this long ago. You can read it here.)
• Living for a nod from mankind

These things I often allow to steal away my freedom. True freedom is simple, although rarely easy.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

In that saving moment, we are set free.

Then Jesus said:

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know that truth, and the truth will set you free. ... So if the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:31-32,36

And what was Yeshua's teaching? Love God. Love People.

So where does my freedom rest? Firmly in the arms of my loving Heavenly Father, who teaches me what it means to love Him, and to love people ... more so each day, if I'm seeking Him. There I find freedom from the world, freedom from myself, freedom to love, freedom to live.

As I think of how our forefathers fought the freedom fight for me, I'm brought to my knees acknowledging Yeshua's fight for my freedom that has truly set me free. I am grateful. Today, I choose Christ. I choose to Love God. I choose to Love People. I choose to live free.

Happy 4th!

Olive Trees

It has happened to me twice in the last year. And before that time, I can't remember it ever happening. As I was spending time reading God's word, meditating on it, and talking with Him about it, He gave me the reference to a verse in His word. Now, I've been around scripture long enough that the popular verses are usually familiar to me. I know what type of words to expect from certain places in the Bible, and I'm friendly with my concordance. I've spent hours pouring over a certain topic, or trying to find a certain verse. But only twice can I remember a reference in scripture that I didn't know coming into my head during the quiet moments.

Feeling insecure in this new place, I was thinking on sheltering under the Eagle's wings and resting on the Rock of Ages ... and I thought, "Psalm 52:8." What is Psalm 52:8, I wondered, and upon searching, found this:

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

Psalm 52:8 (NIV)

Now, I'm a Bible scribbler. I've tried to break the habit. I've tried to keep the pages clean of my thoughts, but I must confess. I am a Bible scribbler. The pages of my Bible are covered with thoughts, comments from other sources, cross references, little drawings (like a little sheep every time I come across something to do with us being sheep), etc. Underlinings. Stars. Exclamation marks. They're all there. But, Psalm 52:8 hadn't a single mark. No notes. Nothing. I know I had read it on one of my trips through the Bible in a year, but that's it. And there it sat.

I started to wonder about the significance of an olive tree, so I did a little research and found several things of interest. First, in appearance. Olive trees are gnarled and twisted. They show the signs of some internal need to convulse and writhe. Sounds like me. I certainly tend to fight life instead of resting in it. Peace is not a natural posture for me, but God lays it on my life with great patience.

Olive trees are evergreen. Their lives go through cycles with the seasons, as with any tree, but they stay green and beautiful. When I am "trusting in God's unfailing love," the green of my life is evident, regardless of the struggles or changes. God's beauty flows through me.

Fifteen years is a long time, in the world of human existence and in the world of gardening. It takes dedication and perseverance to care for a plant for fifteen years. Only after that time does an olive tree produce a good harvest. Fifteen years! How long has God carried me, pruned me and nurtured me with dedication and perseverance, waiting for the fruitful harvest?

I read that mature olive trees can withstand a temperature drop to -8°C for short periods of time. Their root system has to be protected from freezing. Hmmm ... seems that I could survive anything as long as I am firmly rooted in God, His love, His word. Anything. Since the dove brought Noah an olive branch after the flood, we can assume that an olive tree even survived the destructive power of the flood. Anything.

So perhaps in my moments of insecurity, God's message is simple. His unfailing love lasts forever. Resting in that, trusting in the complete and unwavering truth of His love ... there I will flourish. 

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God;

I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.

Psalm 52:8 (NIV)

So thankful. So blessed.

Want more on Olive Trees and faith? Take a look at PRAY 4 ZION's article, Lessons from the Olive Tree.