This week the topic is Surrender. Surrender is an interesting notion. Most of the time we picture raising a white _ ag in front of the enemy. We are giving up, recognizing we are defeated and hope the enemy will take pity on us and let us live. Well, that’s not exactly the type of surrender we’re talking about. This is a surrender of our ego. This is a surrender, of letting go of the life our ego thinks we “should” have. The ego tries to protect us by keeping us small; by telling us we have a “right” to feel self-pity or anger or fear. The ego is very narcissistic and childish in a way, it wants what it wants when it wants it. As a singer I usually have a song or two that come to mind when I think about a particular subject. Rita Harrington wrote and sang the song, “I surrender to the power and the presence of God within me.” The other song is from the movie Frozen – “Let it go, let it go.” I have sung these songs repeatedly over the years when my monkey mind starts nagging me with its “what ifs” and “if only” scenarios. By living in the present, we eliminate the “what ifs” of the future and the “if only’s” from the past. Life is happening in the now moment.
And yes, there are times in our lives when there is a crisis happening right before our eyes. I’m sure you’ve experienced at least one or two in your life. Do you remember what you did? Chances are you went into appropriate right action, handling it as best you could and then afterward you fell apart. When I’m driving and I see a potential collision around me, I automatically say “Jesus” out loud. And you know what? I think that helps defuse the situation by invoking His name. According to David R. Hawkins: “Another good Crisis Prayer is ‘Please be with me and show me how to surrender and handle this experience’ .” Once you discover you’re not alone, that the presence of God is a source of help, that fearfulness disappears because you begin depending on God instead of your ego.”
Say with me: “I am ready to surrender to the power and presence of God within me. I let go, living in the moment and know all is well. And it is so.”
—Rev. Gay Beauregard, Alpine Church of Spiritual Living