Overwhelmed?

Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual . . . brokenness, pain and suffering . . . it is with us every day, either personally or with those we care about. Often our own struggles pale in the significance of others; the 21 year old woman with terminal cancer, the father of four with a different rare form of cancer, the mental illness that tortures both the victim and their family, the spiritual desert that so many find themselves in (unable to hear or sense a loving God in any of it.), the broken or breaking marriage. I have experienced most of it in my lifetime, either personally or in my own family. I confess at times being angry with God, then just deciding He didn't exist or care. But, I have always finally sought Him as the only refuge that comforts in those times.

Recently, the youth at my church led worship, and the confession of a young man taught us all a lesson that we often fail to put into practice in our churches and our lives. Living with sin is destructive personally and for those around us. Confession IS good for the soul . . . for the whole body, AND those around us. The theme of "surrender" was paramount during that worship service. It is one of the hardest things for us to do, and many never truly "let go, and let God." Even in utter brokenness, some will continue to "harden" their own hearts rather than submit to God's Love and Grace. I don't understand that stubbornness or inability to relinquish our control. I suppose for many it is the fear of losing one's self, of not knowing what lies ahead in that surrender? It has taken me over half my lifetime to begin to understand this "surrender" thing, but I'm getting it . . . daily. Jesus told us that we must lose our lives to find them, and I get that now too. Every day, surrender to God and find our true being in Him and His plans for us. When everything is going well, and, when everything is crumbling around us.

Faith looks across the storms - it does not doubt
Or stop to look at clouds and things without
Faith does not question why all His ways
Are hard to understand, but trust and prays. ---- Anon