I've have spent many hours in sports training and competition, and those words weren't allowed to be spoken.
"Give Up"... NEVER!!!
And yet this summer, I had to give up to be free.
You see, as a Christian, we are called to "Give Up" or rather "Give too" the Lord all the things of our heart and life and surrender them into His hands. Now from a sports stand point it doesn't make that much sense but in the Spirit it does. (However, there is still plenty of spiritual places that we never give up: faith, our love, our walk with God and more.)
Yet, as we surrender our lives to Christ, He is the Master Potter and we are the clay. He only knows what He really intends for our lives and we merely just walk daily with Him as He unveils His plan to us.
So by surrendering to Him, we essential give to Him all things in our lives and turn our hearts over to His will and His plan. HE IS THE BOSS.
That's where I found it hard this summer.
It was hard to put all that sports mindset aside to finally reach my goal: Peace
For years, there has been a particular dream and wish and pray and desire that I've had. After 2 years of searching, I nearly got to see it happen in June. Until, once again, it did't work out.
I remember thinking,"I've prayed so hard, so long, so much."
Yet, My heart has been crushed time after time in this area. What is going on?
I got to a point that I was mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.
I tried to figure out why things consistently didn't work out?
Why the door keeps closing after it seemed to be open?
So many thoughts were swimming around and around in my head. Frankly, I was undone.
Then it hit me.
GIVE IT UP.
NO, NO, NO- I held on tighter. BUT then, my peace left, my joy left, my anxieties started to swallow me up.
Until, I GAVE UP.
I literally waved an invisible white flag to the Lord, and said, "I am done with this dream. I surrender."
Upon doing that two things happened,
I felt hurt and I felt relief.
I was hurt that all this time I thought I was going to finally have a dream come true and it didn't happen.
On the other hand, I was relieved to know that God, the maker of all things, had my heart and dreams in His hand.
Joy came back to me. Peace was inside of me. And my anxieties disappeared.
It wasn't what I GIVE UP,
It was to WHOM I GAVE IT TOO.
God Almighty has my heart. He has my desires. He knows me and He knows what's best for me.
By Giving it up to God, I know that "He will not withhold any good thing" from me, and for that if I am to have it, HE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.
REST-Breath-Rest
He's got this.
Sometimes the place to find peace, is Surrender. Is Giving it up to God and watching Him figure it all out.
Who knows if my dream will come true, it's just up to God now and His timing.
He makes all things beautiful in His timing.
Blessings.