Surrender the Unknown

June 17, 2009

The unknown comes in so many forms. For the parent it's that first horn beep and wave a child gives once they get their license. It's a doctor's report, the answer to a proposal, a pink slip, job interview, or a spouse's confession.

Surrendering the unknown is probably the hardest act of obedience. You have to trust that God knows what He is doing and that He's got your best interest at heart; like driving a winding mountain road not knowing what will greet you around the next bend. It's scary, dark, and gets your heart pumping.

How do you surrender the unknown? I say it's like the joke about how to eat an elephant---one bite at a time. Here are a few suggestions to help:

---Pray, pray pray! I know the temptation is to run to our friends and ask what they think. The better choice is to pray. Your Heavenly Father longs to hear from you and communicate with you. He knows how this unknown is going to go for you so doesn't it make sense to talk to Him about it?

---Consult the Instruction Book. I can’t keep quiet when people ask why couldn’t life come with a manual. It does, but sometimes we forget to take the Bible seriously. Our excuses are plenty: it's not relevant, not really God inspired, and the frequent “I don’t understand.” The Bible is 100% true and God inspired. The Old and New Testament give examples and hope to tarry on in our situation. This is another example of taking baby steps. Don't make Bible reading a fast food chow down. Savor the Word.

Speaking of fast...surrendering to a fast if that is God's plan for you is a wonderful way to draw closer to Him and receive strategy. Fasting usually means refraining from food, but it doesn't have to. Ask God what He has for you. Make sure you are physically up to a fast. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out ordeal. He's so much more interest in your heart and revealing His to you. When I surrendered to a true fast (instead of whining about how I missed whatever I was temporarily giving up rather than seeking Him) I always felt ready for the next step.

As Joyce Meyer says, "Do it afraid." It's okay to have fear, it's not okay to be paralyzed by it. Just like Indiana Jones when he has to take the leap of faith. It's scary, he can't see beyond the cliff he has to jump. Once he does, though, the view comes together. There is a camouflaged bridge that takes him to the next step. He runs, then returns, leaving a clue so the next leaping person can see. If Indiana had not taken that leap, he never would have seen the next step.

What's your unknown? Are you ready to surrender?

I can really relate to Indiana and the leap of faith. Writing for Take Root and Write has been a joy this past year. It stretched my thinking and kept me accountable in the areas of writing, surrender, and marriage. This column is my last regular column with Take Root. My leap of faith is jumping into unknown writing waters. I don't exactly know what is ahead, but I have enough direction mixed with doses and doses of peace to know it's time.

I pray surrender is a constant process of your resemblance to Christ. It's not easy. You might not see results right away. But it's worth it.

Blessings to you. Keep surrendering!