Greetings from Austin Street

Blessed Sunday to you all! 

The candle is lit…

Dear God, thank you for receiving what I bring and giving me what I need.  Open my eyes to understand others and tell them of the grace You offer so freely and completely. Thank you for loving us much that your take our weaknesses and strengthen us with your Presence in our lives. Forgive us Lord when we forget to come to you first. I love you Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

The title of my meditation tonight is  Surrender All. I have spent the afternoon and evening preparing a talk on Grace in Action for the upcoming Via de Cristo weekend where I will be serving as a Spiritual Director; a clergy position. There is a portion of the talk where I recall Casey at MD Anderson Hospital and when he received his first chemotherapy treatment and how he lay in the hospital bed and as soon as they opened up the chemotherapy drugs he began to sing softly, “All to Jesus  I surrender…all to him I freely give.”  It was a holy moment for me and I realized the presence of God was within Casey giving him peace, strengthening his faith and taking away fear.

There is an old song that says, “Give them all to Jesus. Your shattered dreams, wounded hearts and broken toys.”  My friends Jesus asks for our problems, challenges and difficult situations “making sure there are no claw marks on them.” Last night at the Casting Crowns concert they sang a piece titled Just Be Held with this phrase, “and when you’re tired of fighting chained by your control, there freedom in surrender, lay it down and let it go. Stop hanging on and just be held.” That phrase warmed me like a hug from Bruce. The message of the piece was asking God to help us let loose of the tension of our grasping hand and give our situations willingly (well now there is a hard word) without hesitation or condition, reservation or hesitation to God. God wants our concerns about relationships, employment issues, and inner struggles. The greatest gift God ever gave us was the gift of free will or choice. The choice is simple; believe in God or don’t believe. God asks for our choices and for us to say, “It is all yours Lord. I give it to you.” God wants us to let go and not hold on. Coming before God will hands that are full and leaving with hands that are empty means that we have given God control and are proclaiming him as Lord of our lives. God is good and the power of God’s love for us as lived out in the life of Jesus wins!!

“I trust in you, O Lord; I say “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.”

Psalm 31: 14-15

“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

2 Chronicles 16: 9

Take joy in the journey praying, praising, laughing, giving thanks and laying our burdens down on the road. Wear comfortable shoes and get some sleep. Love you all, Bruce and Gaylene