The Call to Relinquish Control

In case you missed it, my retina tore last month, and I needed to step back from writing to allow for healing. (Learn more) In the stepping back, I’ve struggled. Surrender is hard for me. I have never been good at slowing down and changing my plans. And embracing rest, I thought I would be better at that by now. But, I am experiencing God’s promised peace and rest in the stillness. And each time I push my eye beyond its limits, God gently says, relinquish and rest in me.

My perception was that God wanted me to trust His timing. Which is true, I should. So I prayed, “Lord, you want me to release my plans to You, right? “

But again, the word “relinquish” enters my mind.

Which prompted a little research. There is a difference between release and relinquishment. Release is to set free, let go, or allow something to escape. But to relinquish is to give up or surrender something, often unwillingly or with reluctance. (The Content Authority)

Well, I’m the first to admit I struggle with relinquishing control over my plans. It can be quite a mental battle. Even though I understand God’s plans are far better than mine, I am reluctant even after following Jesus for thirty-plus years.

How about you?

Embracing the Call and Finding Rest

Face it, it’s hard to relinquish our timeline and plans.

And yet, God calls us to relinquish our plans to Him and live from a place of rest in His presence. This is not a call just for times of stress and anxiety but is His daily call.

What might you need to relinquish to God in this moment?

God’s call to surrender and live closely with Him is how you experience peace and rest.

So, what happens when you accept God’s loving offer as He calls you to relinquish and rest in His presence?

Inhaling deeply, the smell of damp moss permeates your nose, evoking a sense of being grounded to the earth. You are barefoot, the earth pliable between your toes.  

Your steps are unhurried as your mind struggles to comprehend the quiet. In the canopy above, the only sound you hear is the call of a cardinal, and leaves rustling.

Your breath slows and is rhythmic; you follow the gurgling sound of water as the trees open to a meadow beside a brook.

Walking in the meadow, you graze your hand over the tall grass stalks, marveling at its texture.

Finding the stream, you sit and rest. Your face rises to the sky, and you breathe deeply.

The only sound you hear is the softly flowing water—pure bliss.

Your palms open toward heaven as a sign of willingness to surrender and accept God’s invitation to be in His presence.

He calls you to relinquish the pressure, the stress, and anxiety, asking you to accept His offered rest.

You find it hard to let go of the tension.

He calls again:
Relinquish.
Rest in Me, my child.

Surrendering, you ask for His help, and as He strengthens you, the tension ebbs from your body.

It’s as if a cleansing shower flows over you.

Your head tingles as your jaw releases and your shoulders no longer shrug as you relax from your head to your toes.

You are being cleansed in the presence of God.
Cleansed from anxiety, uncertainty, and the need to control.
Cleansed from doubts and pain.
Cleansed from the voices in your head

The tension that usually flows through your body has calmed, replaced by soft muscles, a soft heart, and peace.

Time slows as your breath deepens. You hear Him say:

This is what I ask:
Join Me in the meadow daily. With Me, peace will fuel your soul to live abundantly. In my presence, you will receive strength for the day, wisdom for your decisions, and alignment of your spirit with Mine. This is how you live in life-union with Me.

Friends, peace is found as we relinquish our plans and worries in the presence of God.  

He has given us the Holy Spirit to live within us, so we are never far from His presence. And when we struggle to relinquish and receive peace and rest, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us to lead us to a place of stillness in the presence of God. This is when we find rest and peace.

P.S. Praise the Lord, my eye has healed nicely, and I am able to continue writing, albeit with more breaks mixed in to rest the eye.