A recent experience I wanted to share:
At training camp we did something called a Surrender Walk. Everyone
had a piece of wood and wrote down anything on it that was holding us
back in our relationship with God. Anything that we still needed to
give up to Him that we hadn’t yet. I had many words on the log, some
things I had been holding onto so tight it took me almost an hour to
get the courage to write down the word. After putting these words on
our logs we took a hike through the woods, that progressively got
harder until we had climbed two fairly intense woodsy, tree filled,
slippery, with rocks sticking out all over the place, hills. At the
time these hills seemed more like mountains (at least to me). Finally
we reached the top and as the ground leveled out there was a cross.
Here we symbolically dropped our piece of wood at the foot of the
cross.
had a piece of wood and wrote down anything on it that was holding us
back in our relationship with God. Anything that we still needed to
give up to Him that we hadn’t yet. I had many words on the log, some
things I had been holding onto so tight it took me almost an hour to
get the courage to write down the word. After putting these words on
our logs we took a hike through the woods, that progressively got
harder until we had climbed two fairly intense woodsy, tree filled,
slippery, with rocks sticking out all over the place, hills. At the
time these hills seemed more like mountains (at least to me). Finally
we reached the top and as the ground leveled out there was a cross.
Here we symbolically dropped our piece of wood at the foot of the
cross.
The reason I bring this experience up is because God gave me a
picture today while praying. He was holding my piece wood in His hands
and walking away from me. I said, “Where are you going with that? Are
you going to burn it now?” God turned and said to me “You don’t need
to know what I’m doing with it. You just need to know that I’m taking
it.” He then turned and walked away. Right after He left me the word
CONTROL popped into my head. I stopped praying and said WOW. It’s
only been two weeks since I gave all these things to God and I’m
already wanting some of it back! I’m already scrambling for control.
Why do I do this?! When I’m in control of things nothing goes right,
everything ends up out of control, but when God is in control
everything has a way of coming together. Why do I want to be in
control? I just mess everything up!
picture today while praying. He was holding my piece wood in His hands
and walking away from me. I said, “Where are you going with that? Are
you going to burn it now?” God turned and said to me “You don’t need
to know what I’m doing with it. You just need to know that I’m taking
it.” He then turned and walked away. Right after He left me the word
CONTROL popped into my head. I stopped praying and said WOW. It’s
only been two weeks since I gave all these things to God and I’m
already wanting some of it back! I’m already scrambling for control.
Why do I do this?! When I’m in control of things nothing goes right,
everything ends up out of control, but when God is in control
everything has a way of coming together. Why do I want to be in
control? I just mess everything up!
What was really cool about this picture was that God did not give
me back the piece of wood. He continued to walk away with it. He
doesn’t just give up on you. When you truly give something up to God,
He takes it and He carries it away. He helps you from taking it back.
He gives you the strength you need when you struggle. And when you do
stumble or fall or whatever metaphor you want to use for messing up, He
is there. God confirmed that I had started the process of handing Him over full
control during training camp and during that walk, but that I will
continually need to resist taking it all back.
It’s a process, a journey. Just because I gave something up to God
doesn’t mean the next day and poof! whatever it was is gone. All the
things I wrote down on my piece wood will be things God will
continually be taking from me. But, He is going to take them! I don’t
need to worry or take control. He’s got it. I think this is something
all of us need to be reminded of; whatever is on your piece of wood,
continue to release it God and He will continue to take it away. Its still weird for me to grasp this concept of
visions/pictures from God; never before in my life have I actually
believed it was possible. But, I know this was from God and it was just
a really awesome moment that I wanted to share with all of you!
me back the piece of wood. He continued to walk away with it. He
doesn’t just give up on you. When you truly give something up to God,
He takes it and He carries it away. He helps you from taking it back.
He gives you the strength you need when you struggle. And when you do
stumble or fall or whatever metaphor you want to use for messing up, He
is there. God confirmed that I had started the process of handing Him over full
control during training camp and during that walk, but that I will
continually need to resist taking it all back.
It’s a process, a journey. Just because I gave something up to God
doesn’t mean the next day and poof! whatever it was is gone. All the
things I wrote down on my piece wood will be things God will
continually be taking from me. But, He is going to take them! I don’t
need to worry or take control. He’s got it. I think this is something
all of us need to be reminded of; whatever is on your piece of wood,
continue to release it God and He will continue to take it away. Its still weird for me to grasp this concept of
visions/pictures from God; never before in my life have I actually
believed it was possible. But, I know this was from God and it was just
a really awesome moment that I wanted to share with all of you!
