Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Surrender

What does it mean to surrender? What does it mean to truly take up your cross? What does that look like? How can I truly follow what Christ has asked me to do? So many books, so many commentaries, so many opinions. But the small voice I hear in my head tells me that I am not to do anything except to really listen every day. Surrendering one day may look completely different another. I may have to surrender one thing one day and the next day it is fine. I guess that is the funny thing with surrendering and taking up your cross. It deals with the heart which changes. What really does this look like? Arms spread wide. Unable to move without the Father willing it first. Truly what it means to surrender is something do different that I think we can even begin to understand. Maybe we are not fully meant to understand it. Surrendering to Christ cannot be put in a box. And the truth is, if Christ were to say, "Cheryl, this is what it looks like to surrender to me" I would probably do that one thing and nothing else. But it isn't just one thing. It is a lifestyle. And that means that I am to live like this picture. To live with my arms open wide under the protection of the Father and listen intently.

Surrender, sometimes it means swallowing my pride. Sometimes it means going to the mountains and taking pictures even when someone is demanding my time. Sometimes surrender looks like painting a picture instead of napping, and sometimes it looks like napping instead of doing. It takes many different forms, but I guess it is always in-line with the Cross.