Immediately you may balk at this title. Isn’t surrendering for cowards? Not necessarily. If you are stressed, anxious, confused, or even frustrated with feelings of helplessness, I invite you to read on. Have you dreamed of an abiding peace that seems only to evade you? 

Powering through life and feeling inadequate in an ever-changing, unpredictable world is exhausting. It’s easy to become anxious and feel like a hamster on a wheel, trapped in a cage. Every day, the same old routine. We may assume that if we work hard enough, long enough, and control as much as possible, we’ll catch up and free up enough to finally relax and find peace.

I lived this way for decades.

I never caught up and realized it’s an illusion to live that way. I propose a better solution that has been a game changer for me. It may feel the opposite of what is required, but this is the answer. The benefit you will experience is a more profound inner peace and unexpected positive outcomes. Sound too good to be true? It is not. As a Catholic Christian, I know I am supposed to give my heavy loads to the Lord. I know I’m supposed to let ‘Jesus take the wheel’ so my burden becomes lighter. So why do we not take the Lord at his word and give it a try? We’ve nothing to lose.

The problem was that I did not know how to “give my burdens to the Lord.” I would sort of pray, beg, make the occasional deal, and once, even gave God a deadline. That one ended with me being schooled on PowerPoint, at a retreat, by St Padre Pio, “Don’t give God deadlines.” 

Message received.

So, what are we to do? God is not a vending machine whereby we put in our prayers and select how we want Him to answer. When you put it that way, it does sound disrespectful. I like to imagine that we base everything on a pixel of information we have at our disposal and an excruciatingly little understanding of all factors, natural and supernatural. Sure, I always have my thoughts on what is the best solution. Then what rings loud and clear in my head is, “My ways are not your ways, Barb, nor are my thoughts your thoughts,” says the Lord. 

Here’s the deal. God is God, and we are not. He knows everything past, present, and future. We know squat. Perhaps, and this is just a suggestion, He might understand better than I the perfect move to make in time and history. This is where the Surrender Novena comes in. I was introduced to it a few years ago and am grateful beyond words. In the wise words of Fr. Mike Schmitz, “In the face of a life, you can’t control, surrender.”

So I invite you to join me and others to begin this Novena on Sunday, June 4th, the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. This image we are created in is an Image of an eternal exchange of love. We each are God’s idea. He has a plan for each of our lives and has equipped us to fulfill this mission. What is my mission? In surrendering it becomes clearer.

Please do so if you have not subscribed to automatically receive these articles. Suppose you have friends or family members that are stressed and anxious. In that case, I encourage you to share this with them, and you can accompany one another on this journey together. If nothing in your life is working by all your human efforts, surrendering them is most necessary.

I hope you will join me; you’ve got everything to gain.