I Surrender ALL

Sweet, sweet surrender, live, live without careLike a fish in the water, like a bird in the airSweet, sweet surrender, live, live without careLike a fish in the water, like a bird in the air              ~ Lyrics and Song by John Denver

For years, I have been trying to understand what it really means to surrender. Over the years, my family and friends have continued to tell me that I need to learn how to surrender. But it has never really made ANY sense to me nor taken any root in my mind or spirit. To be quite honest, I really thought "surrendering" meant giving up. 

I could even visualize a "surrender scene" in my head as an image of me.... courageously riding on a beauutiful charcoal grey horse, dressed in a pristine pearl colored flowing dress, galloping through the beautiful hills of an Arabian desert with a cohort of armored clad warrior women behind me headed to battle.... then all of the sudden someone rides up from the distant on a muscular black stallion telling me that I need to surrender.  

....I'd imagine myself thinking, "What?! I've got my gear on, my beautiful stallion, the warrior sisters behind me, and I'm ready for battle. What do you mean I should just SURRENDER?!......... 

Each time I would find myself in the midst of a struggle with a relationship, family member, work, my child or my own personal issues I would hear that all TOO familiar phrase--YOU NEED TO SURRENDER. Even in recent years, as I began to actively pursue my journey as a singer, artist and writer I have had to come face-to-face with the idea of surrendering.

....then here comes along a sister singer named Liv Warfield. I finally GOT IT!!!!!

It was actually through watching her performance that I saw what people have been saying to me for years....if you just let go, don't worry about perceptions, withhold self-judgement, flow in your gift and LET GOD lead the process you will be LIBERATED! Thank you God! I FINALLY GOT IT!

You see what I noticed and felt in my spirit from Liv's performance was that she was NO LONGER enslaved, mentally imprisoned  and/or bound by the perceptions of other people including her fans. 

This sister got on stage and just shared her authentic gift(s) without a sense any feeling the pressure to be perfect, the pretense of just entertaining people or the goal of meeting other folks  expectations. I saw pure liberation to operate in her authentic gift(s) and my soul was MOVED. I actually started praising God under my breath as I heard her sing.  That's what liberation sounds like.

Ironically, this sister was quite entertaining and a fabulous singer; she mesmerized the crowd by NOT trying to entertain them.  Instead she captured the attention of the audience through her display of courage to fully be present in the moment,  simply BE who God made her to be and use her gift without restraint.  Up until the end of the show (she stayed in flow even after the show had ened and they cut off the mics and the sound system) Liv encouraged the band to keep going and created an authentic  music experience and opportunity for us to witness the liberation that comes when we surrender our gift(s) to GOD! 

This is what I have learned in a pink nutshell:

1.) Music is a SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE and not for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY! 

2.) Humility is NOT about your relationship with man BUT  your relationship with  God.

3.) Surrendering is not constraining but it actually leads to true LIBERATION by trusting God with ALL of the affairs in your life--including the use of your gift(s).

4.)  Always remember the gift is for God's GLORY and never peoples' acceptance.

LORD, I surrender ALL!