It’s the title of my World Race page. It’s the title of this blog. And now it’s permanently inked on my body. What is this obsession with the phrase “beautiful surrender” all about anyway, you ask? Well, simply put, this is the phrase that God has been hammering into my spirit (ever so gently, of course) since before I even signed up for the Race.
“Surrender it all, Leyna. EVERYTHING.” -God
“Really God, everything? But what about my future and everything in it… like my career, my marriage, and my children? Aren’t I supposed to make those decisions on my own? And what about this World Race thing? I’m not so sure I want to do it…” -Me
“Let it all go. Just give it all to Me.” – God
This is a paraphrase of multiple conversations that have taken place between my Heavenly Father and I. In theory, this seems like a simple equation: I let go. God takes over. The end.
However, I tend to be something of a control freak. I want to know what’s going on at all times, and I want to be the one in charge of my own life. I often feel that I’m perfectly capable of handling things on my own. But God has been showing me that I will get nowhere if I don’t surrender every detail of my life to Him. In the end, He takes that surrendered life and turns it into something incredibly beautiful.
So…I decided to get these two monumental words tattooed on my wrists as a constant, daily reminder of this new chosen lifestyle I’ve taken up. “Beautiful” on the left wrist, “Surrender” on the right. The song “Control” by Mute Math was also a big inspiration for this tattoo. I highly recommend you give it a listen. It’s a great song.
I also made my first ever video! (Long overdue, I know). It’s basically a montage of some of my favorite photos from the Race thus far, with the theme (what else?) “Beautiful Surrender.” Side note: If you can, please PLEASE think about supporting me financially so that I can finish this journey! I really don’t want it to end prematurely, because I believe God still has big things in store. So, enjoy the vid! ☺
