Blog for September 16th, 2024
Hope & Surrender
OK, first, let me tell you about something I heard from a lady with over fifty years clean in Narcotics Anonymous. I was listening to some meetings that were streamed by audio from the NA World Convention in Washington DC a couple of weeks ago and she caught my attention when she said that she’s been taking one of the spiritual principals each week and focusing on it. She said that it is changing her life and really helping her. So, guess what, I decided to try it too.
Hope: “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” I started with Hope last week and Surrender is this week. I felt renewed with my focus on Hope. The main thing I found was as long as I trust my God to handle my problems and help me through this life, in order to help others, I have hope, clear and simple.
Surrender: Cease to resist. It is an “action” word, same as hope. Another explanation I found says that “not giving up on God or ourselves; it is trusting Him even when we don’t understand what’s happening, realizing our miniscule status in the vast universe, and becoming humble. True surrender happens when we completely trust God.” Wow!!!
Therefore, the one theme I find in common between these two spiritual principles is trusting God. I have most certainly recognized that and yield to this concept. It has renewed my faith to a deeper level and given me relief from my fears and anxieties about all kinds of things.
I am beginning to truly grasp the “let go and let God” suggestion. I thought I pretty much had this down until I started really focusing on these principles more deeply these last couple of weeks. Focusing on them as my husband and I do our daily meditations has brought those meditations to life for me.
How so? Well, with my addict son coming and going, in and out, up and down, here and there, I am at peace with that. I know that I can trust my Higher Power to guide him, protect him and help him land where he’s supposed to be. Having a peace about him is truly life changing, as the speaker lady said. 😊
I have also made decisions to let go of certain people, groups and situations that are not conducive to my happiness or recovery. I’m just not going to worry about what everybody thinks, or what anyone thinks. Except for God and my husband. The rest can either get on board or wait for the next train. I am trusting my Higher Power with this, because I know He has my best interest at heart and wants the best for me. Now I know this. And you can know this too.
I am also surrendering my writing, my house, my health, his health, my friends and family who are facing hard choices and fears and losses. I am surrendering situations I honestly have no control over, aka, other people, especially co-workers and administration. There are issues going on and I am leaving it all in God’s hands. I think I just heard my mom’s voice!
The fact is anybody can know this. It’s taken me a lot of practice to actually “feel” the peace that I am getting from trusting God because I am so ready and willing to surrender to Him and I put my hope in Him. I can’t say that I will always be perfectly surrendered, hopeful and trusting as I continue to let go and let God. But I sure do feel lifted up enough, encouraged enough to say that I will always keep trying until my last breath.
Question of the Week: Have you surrendered to your Higher Power? Trusting Him with the hope that can only come straight from Him to begin with.
PS- after I wrote this, I got a call from my son, him and his son are at church! Now that’s a miracle! thank you Lord, amen