Surredering My Will

A few weeks ago I was having a difficult time regarding certain things/people in my life. I struggled to figure out what to do to fix the situation. The more I tried to remedy the problem, the worse the problem got. I was completely frustrated and I tried really hard to pray for an answer of resolution. Nothing came to mind, and then one day I felt inspired to open up a magazine that was sitting on my desk. The pages fell to an article titled “Sweet Surrender” written by Cheryl Richardson, one of the columnists of the magazine. As I read, the words struck a chord with me. “At one time or another, we all find ourselves caught in a situation we desperately want to control…Whatever the situation, times like these challenge us to go beyond life skills like critical thinking or organization. In these cases, when you truly have no sway in the outcome, only a higher, more spiritual skill will get you through: the ability to surrender.” I have always felt a deep need to control the events that occur around me. When things don’t go right in my life or the lives of those closest to me, I worry my pretty little head off trying to find the perfect upshot. So to read the word “surrender” automatically made me think “give up.” But I read on. “Knowing how to surrender reflects spiritual maturity—and it requires patience and practice. But it’s worth it. When I think about my own life, I can see that when I’m able to relinquish my will to a higher power, things are no longer a struggle; life gets easier…by releasing my grip, a power greater than myself seems to take hold to steer me where I need to go.” I came to a huge realization. There have been considerable times that I’ve prayed about this particular problem concerning a loved one in my life. I pleaded, “What should I do? Give me an answer. Tell me how to fix this.” Everything I tried seemed to backfire or make things worse. After reading this article I realized my mistake. I tried to do it by myself. I made myself believe it was all in my hands. I felt it was my sole duty to help this person. “Our source of suffering is always related to our resistance to what is. The soul doesn’t try to control life; the ego does. When your ego is wrapped firmly around a desire, your peace of mind and happiness are held hostage by an obsessive need to control the outcome. After enough pain and suffering, you’ll eventually get the message: If you don’t learn to surrender your will, you will surrender your peace.” This makes absolute sense to me, yet, I didn’t “get it” until reading this article. There are some things I just can’t control, and I have to recognize that. There is only so much I can do, and when I can’t do any more, I have to give my burden to God. I have to surrender my will to His. And as much as I’d love to just snap my fingers and make the situation okay, sometimes I can’t. I have to allow things to happen as they are intended to, rather than desperately direct the crisis on the course I believe needs to be taken. Trying to control only creates more stress in my life. “….the reality is that we will be disappointed at times. When we surrender, it doesn’t mean that we throw our hands in the air and do nothing; it means we pay close attention to our intuition so we can act on this wisdom. Then, once we’ve done what we can, we let go and allow grace to shine a light on a better path---one that brings about the result that ultimately serves our highest good.” All this time I had prayed for an answer. After several weeks of feeling rather unsuccessful in my ability to receive a reply, there was a little voice that told me to open up this magazine. My answer was here all along. I do what I can, and the rest I give to Heavenly Father. I surrender my will and allow the forces that be to take the wheel. When I can’t control what happens, I just have to live my life and hope that things work out in the best possible way. A very hard thing to do, if you ask me. But since trying this new approach, the burden I was feeling earlier has lightened. I haven’t worried to an excessive and/or obsessive degree about it. When it comes to that loved one of mine, I just have to be there for them and realize I can’t control what they do. I can only control what I do, and at this point I just need to show love and support to this person and try not to “fix” them or the situation that revolves around them. I must loosen the reigns a bit and trust the Lord and “let things unfold as they may….When we learn to surrender, we then make space for true miracles to happen.”