In every season and for every heart, surrender opens the door for us to become who God intended us to be. But surrender can look different for each of us depending on the season we’re in. We need discernment and sensitivity to the seasons to know what surrender means for us in each season.
beginning
Darlene says “yes” to spending a lifetime with the man she loves. Jodie discovers she’s cradling a new life within. Keith settles on a career he hopes will provide for him and his future family for the rest of his days. Elijah’s mentors and teachers place their hands on his shoulders, and the weight of his call to pastoral ministry presses in as he’s ordained. Sylvia’s ticket to the Middle Eastern country she can’t get out of her mind is placed in her hands, and she realizes it’s too late to turn back. There’s no way to go besides forward now that Brent has agreed to teach a class for married couples at his church. And Destiny’s heart beats stronger as she registers for courses she hopes will help her learn what she needs to know in order to follow the dreams God has placed in her heart.
Starting a new season can be exciting, but it can also be frightening, filling us with questions about the unknown. Did I make the right decision? What happens now? How do I prepare for what’s ahead? If we’re not careful, we can slide into a whirlpool of doubt and second-guessing.
During these seasons, surrender looks like willingness to take a step of faith guided by God’s Spirit and founded on His word, then leave it in His hands and trust Him to show us the way forward. Even when the path gets rough, we don’t have to wonder if we made the wrong decision, because we know we chose what God wanted for us.
When you’ve said yes to something or someone that will take you into a new season, surrendering means stepping into the unknown and trusting that even there, the Lord will lead you. Psalm 139:7, 9–10 (ESV) says this beautifully: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? . . . If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” A song inspired by this psalm rephrases it this way: “And I begin the day / With the faith You fashion my ways / And I cannot escape for Your hand it leads / Your right hand holds me / When I wake / You will be there / When the sun goes down in the night You will be there.”1
Yes, He will be there. He was there before the beginning of space and time and earth and sea, and crossing the waves of that unfathomable reach, He authored your story and mine before we began to breathe and chose to set His love on us before we were known to anyone besides Him. Our God can be trusted with our beginnings.
between before and after
The day when she pledges her love to the one who has chosen her is not far away, and Darlene’s heart trembles with anticipation as she prepares to start a bright new season. Jodie tenderly strokes her growing belly as the child inside her draws closer to arriving in the world. Keith’s fingers patter the arm of a chair in the waiting room as he prepares for a final interview. Elijah packs his bags with books and memories, reflecting on his time at seminary as it fades fast in the distance and he prepares to open a new chapter with the church that has chosen him as their pastor. Sylvia steps off a plane and breathes in her first scent of the country she has been called to. Surrounded by stacks of books and papers, Brent puts together a plan for his marriage class while praying for God to show him how best to reach others’ hearts. Awaiting her grade on a major school assignment, Destiny refreshes her email for the third time in an hour, hoping it won’t be long until she knows if she has passed.
Seasons of waiting can be some of the hardest times to surrender because they remind us of how much is beyond our control. During these seasons, we need to be still and remember that God has not forgotten us. Even if He seems silent, He is still moving. We must learn not to forge ahead on our own, doing whatever we think is necessary to make progress, but instead wait and trust that God is at work.
Hidden seasons are shaping seasons, and God is growing things within us that we cannot see. Being willing to stay in the waiting room for as long as it takes is a sign of a heart of faith. We must wait for His word as watchmen wait for the morning, in hope that light will dispel the dark when dawn comes. Even in the dark, we must remember that our Father sees us wherever we are. Part of surrender is trusting His heart.
staying
In what feels like the blink of an eye, Darlene and Aidan celebrate ten years of marriage, and though the butterflies of the early years are long gone, their love for one another has grown deeper and stronger through all they’ve experienced together. Jodie’s daughter Tory is followed by two more children, and Jodie’s days and hands are filled with the duties of managing a growing household. The hours tick by quickly for Keith as he performs the functions of a supervisor. Sunday morning services, Wednesday night Bible studies, Saturday afternoon study sessions, and anytime counseling sessions weave together like rows in a field of wheat as Elijah faithfully serves his flock. Sylvia searches the eyes of those she encounters every day, praying that something of her faith breaks through to them as she ministers to the needs she can reach. Brent prays for continued growth among the couples attending his class as he leads them every week. Destiny logs onto her computer for another day of classes, hoping more information can sink in even though she’s already feeling overloaded.
During staying seasons, when what God has called us to remains the same for a time, surrender looks like pressing on, being content with the story given to us and not envying someone else’s, and walking with the Spirit and not striving outside of His timing. It looks like settling into the rhythm of daily grace and faithfulness, drinking in His mercies new every morning like dewdrops on spring blades, and searching for the jewels of joy found right where we are. It means surrendering to His sustaining in the ordinary when we’re eager to move on to something new and exciting. We need to be all in wherever God places us.
- Jeremy Camp, “You Will Be There,” © 2008 Thirsty Moon River Publishing, Stolen Pride Music. ↩︎
Hannah, your writing is so lovely, and this message so encouraging. However, sometimes it’s hard to be all in, in a season we did not choose. As you’ll read in my book, we raised a daughter with special needs, to whom the sound of laughter – LAUGHTER – was painful and upsetting. This was an extremely trying season, and though we prayed continuously for healing (or at least tolerance!) it did not get better until fairly recently (she is in her late 20s); sometimes she still struggles and I have to mute my laughter. But your encouragement is applicable to all, whether they have chosen the season they’re in or not. Trusting God for the before, during, and after of any season is always the answer. Keep up the good work! 😊
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Cheryl. (I’m still fairly early on in the book, so I haven’t gotten to that part yet.) I totally agree; surrender is definitely a lot harder in some seasons than in others. I’m actually going to share more about that in next week’s post, so please make sure to stay tuned for that. 😊
Hannah Grace, this is such a great reminder that earthly circumstances don’t change who God is. I heard it said once (I forget where) that if you trust God in the good times, then you MUST trust God in the not-so-good and in-between times. Otherwise you don’t really trust Him. Whenever I get stuck I try to remind myself of that. Beautiful reminder.
That’s a great quote, Trudi. We all need to be reminded of God’s unchanging nature, especially when things around us are changing (I’ve been in a season of change lately, so I can totally relate to that). I’m glad this was an encouragement to you.