Surrender

To understand surrender, we turn to the gurus, sages, and mystics of all traditions. They all radiate a joy, compassion, childlike wonder, and unfailing trust.  They seem to accomplish more for the world than seems humanly possible.  And they unabashedly display a constant love affair with the divine.  They almost seem like a different species than the rest of humanity.

These great ones embody surrender, but what is their secret?  If we look closely at their lives, it appears there is a common thread:  they all spend hours every day in communion with their God.  Dom Helder Camera, a Catholic priest, was said to meditate from 2-6am every morning and then spend the rest of the time ministering to the poorest of the poor in the barrios of Brazil.  Tending to his intimate relationship with God took precedence; his character and selfless actions were the fruit of this devotion.

In a world of tension, fear, tight schedules, and lack of vision, the mystics show us the power of surrender and choosing daily to cultivate an intimate relationship with the divine.  It is this growing intimacy that counters tension with ease, fear with love, tight schedules with eternity, and lack of vision with miracles.

Surrender is a stance of devotion to the Divine.  It is the willingness to be led, to be changed, and to unflinchingly trust.  It is the constant willingness to be vulnerable and available to the Divine, risking intimacy at every turn.  It is the boldness to claim a love affair with the Divine.