Thinking Out Loud: Surrender

Thinking Out Loud: Surrender

My daily devotional today involved the word surrender. It was a fine article, written by a man. It began with reviewing the negative connotations surrounding the word surrender. Losing a battle. White flag. Giving up. Forfeiting a game. Yielding to a weaker opponent.

I could not relate to any of this. I am many things, a lot of them not so good, but I was not born to compete. I am more of a join hands and sing around a hippie campfire kinda gal. Born too late to be a hippie, I was wedged into the “me” generation.

In one of a handful of yoga classes I have ever attended, we were to “surrender” to the pose, not force it. Let it come to you. This one little class planted a seed about the ACT of surrender. Surrender can be a deliberate, specific actions that happens with your heart, your mind, your body.

This concept stuck with me and I use it in the studio all the time. I am not making the painting, I am surrendering myself to the painting.

this same concept is significant to my relationship with God. It is not about my definition of Truth, there is no MY TRUTH. There is only THE TRUTH.

Surrendering yourself, submitting yourself to something greater, yielding yourself is a major milestone of growth.

I am not bragging about my own ability to surrender here. One has to continually learn to surrender all over again and again. I have to relearn it everyday. I fail miserably at this alot.

Painters can grow fat egos if not careful. Until they go to a museum and see a painting so beautiful it brings actual tears to their eyes. The majestic beauty of a masterpiece can humble a painter like nothing else can.

We are selfish creatures by nature. We have to surrender in order for things to flow out of us. But with practice and help you can learn to surrender yourself on a regular basis.

Try it next time your create, and see what pours out from your Creator instead of from yourself.