I’m stirring this one around in my mind this week. Asking myself what am I currently afraid to surrender and why even the word surrender stirs discomfort for me.
You and I are being faced with decisions and circumstances that we have not had to face previously.
Decisions on what we will focus or minds, hearts and yes, our very souls on.
Decisions on how we will respond to people.
Decisions on how we will react to circumstances and situations.
I have control over my responses and reactions, not the outcome.
My decision of how I respond to what I cannot control will influence far beyond my doorstep.
Honestly, for me fear can be the catalyst for intensifying the desire to control outcomes.
Cancer. Fear and anxiety of the cancer I’m now 4.5 years out from returning. This isn’t new but has surfaced recently with a greater intensity. I’m not alone in this experience yet to state it means I invite the uncomfortable reality we can choose to face: surrender.
As I pursue control I know that I can influence and even control to some degree minimizing risk, but I cannot fully control. Here lies an opportunity to surrender.
Surrender is not for the weak nor does it mean we give up. It’s about giving in to what we do not yet know nor control.
Sounds a bit like faith.
This surrendering for me is not a cast to the wind but an intentional decision to place all that I cannot control to the unwavering truth – “He himself is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” – Colossians 1:17
This week for me it’s been cancer. Other days may be finances or health of loved ones. The act of surrendering is rarely a one and done, it’s a renewed intention, my friends.
We all are afraid to surrender some thing because we don’t want to lose control. We settle for sitting in anxiety as we seek to control what we may need to surrender to God who holds all things together.
Surrender can be our act of faith.
Surrender can be a strategy.
Maybe, just maybe this can kindle a conversation worth having.
About the author:
Sandy Anderson, MS
Sandy works with organizations, teams, entrepreneurs, and individuals who are seeking to design their work and life with intention versus settling for a default version.
She serves through organizational consulting, leadership coaching conversations, team development training as well as life coaching, authentic writing, and various speaking platforms. Her work is rooted in research-based strategies and leverages the practical tools she designs for her client’s unique needs to fuel resiliency, relevancy and relationship in how they lead, live and love!
