SOSR Blog

The Eyes of Truth: Surrendering Emotions

2 Corinthians 12:9-10:  But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Hebrews 12:1-3:  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Surrender is hard, but Your grace is enough. Finding You in the midst of the struggle—dedicating time to dig deeper—this is where the healing begins.

So many times, I have gotten stuck in the middle. When the pain got to be unbearable, I can see now that I gave up—on the love of Jesus, on me, on believing. There is hope and victory to be had in the storms of life.

Hiding and running became the easier path—so I thought. I let go of Your loving embrace—thinking I could do it on my own, my way. The funny thing was I thought I was winning. I was overcoming. But that was the deception. The lie that kept me bonded to the struggle.

If you are like me, life needs to force you into surrender. Releasing control is not an easy journey. It comes in steps—often baby ones. Each one taking you to the next level of healing. Many times, we let go only to later reclaim what we once released. And the cycle of control continues.

Often, the surrender, comes in a diagnosis. The reality of my struggle finally has a name—Lyme Disease. For years, it was one symptom and then another and another and another, all seemingly separate roads leading to dead ends. Pain and frustration without a cause.

A diagnosis and a plan of treatment brought answers and a resurging of hope in my spirit. It also brought emotions and a wrestling in my soul. Bringing these two forces together has been the calming of my soul.

Slowing down ~ Seeking Him ~ Finding Answers—YES, I am back here again.

As a dear friend once shared, “our victory lies in consistency.” Not inconsistency, but consistency. Wow! A powerful, golden nugget of truth revealed.

Amidst another opportunity, I realize where victory truly lives: a constant slowing down, a constant seeking of Him, a constant surrender.

Seek is a strong word. It means “to crave, pursue, and go after.” Seeking opportunities and going after them requires willingness. A willingness to look within.

Emotions bring healing when we surrender them to Jesus—our Master Teacher and Healer. Surrender is the medication of true health. When we choose to release and listen to what the emotions are really saying, through the love lens of Jesus, we get underneath the struggle and find the cure.

Our emotions give us repeated opportunity to dig deeper for understanding. Opportunity to pause, reflect and respond. But so often, we move, speak and react without thinking about what we really need or want. In that moment, we just want to be free of the pain and stress.

We see pain, and He sees purpose.

Time brings clarity. Time at the feet of Jesus brings hope. The recent snow days with Jesus proved to be right on time. Father, God, Your school is never closed. 24/7, we can learn the lessons you are teaching us through our circumstances, situations, and subsequent emotions.

We can choose to shift our perspective and see with the eyes of Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). And in this shift, we find a peace that does surpass understanding (Philippians 4:7).

Lyme was revealed through my eyes. There is a comfort in knowing that when the storms of life hit and the raging sea is about to take us under, we can choose to fix our eyes on Jesus.

Our eyes reveal truth. Truth about what we believe. I am ready to believe on a whole new transformational level. Won’t you choose to join me?

Click here if you want to dig deeper in reflection.