Recently, I wrote a book, it's a memoir really, containing various stories of my life. Each chapter represents a season of life. Some seasons were hard, some were easy, yet every single one is a journey in my relationship with the Lord. The book is called "Surrendering; My Stories of Embracing the Will of God" and should be available in August. My prayer is that you will read it and be encouraged in your own journey with the Father.
The final chapter included in my book is about my spinal cord surgery that happened just one year ago and all the lessons I learned during that time. Lessons about the fellowship of suffering and the closeness that one feels with Christ as He carries them through their pain and hurts. During this time, I also learned in a very real way that GOD is the ONE who is in control of ALL things. Not me.
Lately, I keep having the thought, what I would write about during this season. What would my chapter title be? "Surrendering to Quarantine" or maybe "Surrendering to Loss of Control"...I certainly hope that the title of the chapter would contain the word "Surrendering" because in my deepest heart of hearts, that is who I want to be.
I want to be a woman on the journey of surrendering to the Lord.
What would your chapter be called? If you had to write 3,000 words about your time during this season, because it IS only a season, what would those words be up until this point? Would they be memories of time you spent worrying? Would they be filled with hours of grieving all of your canceled plans? Would they be days of scrolling social media and the news? Catching up on the latest Netflix series? Trying to survive the homeschooling obligations and entertain kids? (Be assured that I would have a sentence or two from each of these "activities".)
Now let's look ahead, because our chapters are not over.
Every good work of literature has a turning point or climax. A change happens in the characters, making the story more interesting and causing the readers to see a new perspective. Let's say that we want to begin writing a narrative that we would be proud of. Something of substance. Something that would have eternal implications. Let's imagine what we want the second half of our 3,000 words to say about us.
Personally, I want this chapter to be a time of growth. My desire is to grow in my walk with the Lord. To learn how to listen more to His voice, and less to the world's chatter. To take moments to just sit still, just be, and to listen.
I would like for my words about this chapter to be moments frozen in time, fully seized, with my family..all here...all together...just being. It will never happen again. My oldest leaves for college this year, and the next two years later. But now, in this moment, we are all here. Even Dad. Lord, help me cherish the moments and make memories that will last forever and that will make the funny part of the chapter.
During a really hard time for the world who is mourning deeply losses of such magnitude, I would like to be a voice of encouragement. My chapter, that I am writing now, is one of hope, truth, and love.
I may not know, at this moment, what this chapter will be called, but I do know that I have a choice.
I can be someone who writes a story full of hope for a hopeless world...or I could just blend in and wish the time away.
This Chapter is going to be a great one as I wait expectantly on the Lord to be God.
I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope. -Psalm 130:5