Submission

sub·mit [suhb-mit] verb, -mit·ted, -mit·ting.
–verb (used with object)
1. to give over or yield to the power or authority of another
 
Writing about submission sends me through the roof with anxiety.  I don't even like to type it out.  The word itself feels awkward under my fingers.  I get tripped up right after the letter "u" and my hands begin to cramp in resistance.
 
In my devotion this morning I was directed to James chapter 4, where we are encouraged to submit ourselves to God.  Immediately upon hearing this word I was reminded of another place in the Bible where wives are encouraged to submit to their husbands.  And I scrunched up my nose while rolling my eyes... as if.
 
Today, instead of breezing past James 4 in annoyance with the word submission, I read the section and sought first to understand.  What does it mean to submit myself to God?  Webster defines submit as the action of giving control over to another.  How...
 
 COMFORTING!!!
 
Wait...  comforting?  YES!  Beyond our own attitude, there are not many things in life we are able to control.  We are at the mercy of many influences; people, weather, finance.  Just when we think we have everything under control, we are quickly reminded of how little we actually possessed in the first place.
 
What an awesome feeling to be able to submit ourselves to God by giving Him control over our lives!  Since I know I am never fully in control of any outcome I am relieved I'm able to place that worry in God's hands for Him to handle.
 
I submit to God's plan for my life by trusting in this moment.
 
James 4:10, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up."

Free Flow

Thanks for the suggestion, Brie =)  While this isn't the very FIRST thing I'm doing this morning, it is still early enough I may not make much sense.  Which, is all good.

My prayer this morning felt for the first time in a long time extremely heartfelt.  It's not that I don't mean what I pray, it's more that I don't know what I'm praying for.  Sure, I can go through the list of forgiveness, salvation, daily bread, etc.  and of course those things are important.  But, right about "kingdom come" my mind will take off in its own direction.  Eventually I will notice that my hands are still folded and, oh yeah!...  I was praying!

Today was different.  I am thankful for that.

My mission for the next, well... forever, is to stay grounded into the earth.  When looking back on my life until now I see that I let everything happen to me in a very un-invested sort of way.  I am very thankful for where I find myself today, but would very much like to be 100% present in this and every future moment I am given.  In 10 years I will look back and know that at age 34 I started living.

I am grounded...  and I see you.

Encourage Each Other

The wind and waves had kicked up around them.  From shore, Jesus could see his disciples struggling with the ores of their boat.  So Jesus walked across the lake to them.  When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost and cried out in fear, but Jesus said to them in Mark 6:50, "Take courage!  It is I.  Don't be afraid."

Jesus offered his words of encouragement to his disciples, giving them the courage that they lacked.  I can have faith that Jesus is always with me too.  When I am filled with God's light and love, even challenges become possibilities for growth, understanding, and blessings for me.  Anything is possible with God.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."


Today I Pray

Dear God, 
Encourage me to find strength through you to see new possibilities in every challenge.

Peace through Trust

Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The harder I try to bully my life and circumstance into submission, the more unsuccessful I am at moving forward.  While God loves me exactly the way I am, He refuses to leave me the same.  My life is in a constant state of change.  When I trust that God's plan will bring about my full potential, I am filled with peace.

Today I Pray

Dear God,  Through trust in your divine plan I am open to your guidance so I may reach my full potential and be filled with peace.

The Shack by WM Paul Young, Book Review

Funny to be reading The Shack at this point in my life when I'm experiencing my own struggle of faith, but I guess that's how the mystery of things work.

It was an incredibly smooth read, but did tend to drag on a bit in places. The book was about a man named Mack who experienced a great tragedy in his life through the loss of his innocent daughter. His loss was overwhelming and brought upon him "The Great Sadness". His life was forever altered causing him to blame and judge God for the evil of the world.

One day he received an invitation from God to meet him back at the shack, the very place of his daughter's brutal murder. Here, the holy trinity (who was represented by a colorful and refreshing interpretation) was on a mission to transform Mack's heart back into union and relationship with God.

The Shack didn't grab my attention until about 200 pages into the 250 page book. However, the message in the last 50 pages was worth every bit of history I had to read through to get to the point. The Shack is a reconfirmation of faith and love. It re-introduced the positive relationship God intended for us all to share.

"Humans, ...,have a knack for taking a verb that is alive and full of grace and turning it into a dead noun or principle that reeks of rules - then something growing and alive dies."

This is a book I can reference over and over again to help me gain a fresh perspective while struggling with my own experiences of "The Great Sadness", as life doesn't exclude many from times like these. The Shack is a great reminder that we never have to face them alone.