Sacred Surrender

Forget the former things;

Do not dwell on the past. [surrender]

See, I am doing a new thing! [make room]

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

                                                          Isaiah 43:18-19

My husband and I recently built a new home on two acres of lakefront property. Somehow, this beautiful property became available in our price range. Building has been quite a process because we have done nearly all of it ourselves. 

I remember waking up on our first morning in this house. The sun was rising over the lake and shining into our bedroom window. I sat up in bed to look out the window and noticed two bald eagles eating their morning catch in our yard. I immediately went out the door and put my kayak in for a morning meeting with Jesus. 

I was overwhelmed with gratitude that the Lord had made a way for us to live in this little piece of heaven on earth.

The Disappointment and Anger

A month later, the state notified our city that the dam that created our lake was unsafe and required an immediate drawdown. The city was given two years to remove the dam. 

The day before the drawdown occurred, my grandchildren spent the day boating and swimming in our backyard. The following day, I watched the water slowly drain from our lake. 

I was heartbroken. I cried for days as I watched our beautiful view disappear, leaving only old tree stumps and 150 years of mud behind. I found myself crying out to the Lord. 

I was shouting, “I want my lake back! Lord, please give me my lake back!” Mostly, I was angry at the unfair decision the state had made

Looking in the Rearview Window

As I type this, a year has passed. I am looking at the river outside my office window, feeling the weight of conviction. You see, my word of the year for 2026 is “surrender.” This week, our county was hit very hard by flash flooding. There were evacuations throughout our county below every dam but ours. I watched our lake fill back up. I took pictures when the rain stopped, and a double rainbow appeared over my beautiful lake. 

A New Understanding of Surrender

As I took the pictures, the word “surrender” popped into my mind. As I enjoyed my gorgeous view, others were being evacuated from homes underwater. Some of these people were now being sheltered at my own church. If we hadn’t surrendered our dam, we might have lost our home too. In that moment, I realized that my anger at the state and fist-shaking at God was a complete lack of surrender. I had been selfish. This surrendered dam had saved homes and lives. 

We are often called to surrender unimaginable things to make room for God to achieve His purposes. When I chose my word of the year, I was convinced I would be willing to surrender all for His glory, but I was wrong. There were certain things I was still clinging to. In ministry, sometimes we must let go of our “view” to serve Him. 

Each of us will be called to surrender in our future ministry. Some have already begun to count the cost. This might include financial cost or personal time. There is an emotional cost to traveling, and maybe to sharing your difficult story. Maybe we will be called to surrender our insecurities, fear of speaking, or our conviction that we aren’t equipped for this work. These are but a tiny shadow of what Jesus surrendered for us.

What this Means to You and Me

What are you willing to surrender to sew into the healing and salvation of others? Do you trust that God will provide for your needs and equip you for your calling? 

I believe that Speak Up will be a place where you find encouragement and support from others who have surrendered to God’s calling. I know this is a place God uses to provide the community we all long for on this journey.

When God asks us to surrender, He wants us to make room for Him to work through us. You’ve got this!

Question: Has there ever been a moment when something felt like a loss to you, only to later reveal itself as God’s protection or provision? I look forward to your comments.

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