On my recent retreat, one of the prayers we considered was this one. Below are some of the things that came to mind as I thought about it, and I keep thinking about it, for myself. And I wonder how it sounds to others. I want to see the beauty of it, and yet it gets to the heart of our struggle with trusting God.
Take Lord, receive my liberty, my memory, my understanding, my entire will.
You gave me all these gifts.
To you, I return them. Dispose of them entirely according to your will.
Give me only your love and grace. This is all I ask.
Can I really in each day and all moments surrender in this way?
All my decisions
All my choices
All of what I see as opporunties before me?
All of my options
All of my preferences
All of my desires?
All of my preconceived notions
All of my fondnesses
All of my aversions
All of my fears that protect me?
All of my joys
All of the moments I want to hold onto forever
All of my comforts
All of my crutches?
All of the things I consider dear
All of the things I don't want to change
All of the people I rely on
All of my happiness?
All of what seems right or fair to me
All of my hopes
All of my resources
All of my biases?
It is not mine
It is yours- to give, to use, to remove, to transform
Can I really believe in your love and grace that is your beginning and ending, your Word and cross, in this way?
I think I will have to pray this prayer all of my days to even remotely get close. I am learning.
Good thing your love and grace are bigger.
About Me
- Law+Gospel
- I'm a proud 2011 graduate of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and the Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church continuing the journey that God has planned. This is where I somewhat regularly contemplate the intersection of faith and the real world, and the tension between law and the Gospel. I am blessed with a wonderful husband, two Lutheran Chicks and Toby, our beagle/pointer mix! And now for the legal lingo:Views expressed here are mine alone, and do not represent the ELCA, LTSG, or any ministry context in which I serve or to which I belong. The names in my stories have been changed to protect the innocent, as have key facts. If the story sounds familiar perhaps it is because life experiences can be universal.
3 comments:
Yes,a prayer for a lifetime.
It was sung at both my ordination and installation services.
What a wonderful reminder, particularly in this time of uncertainty. Thank you.datif
This prayer is one I pray daily as I try to surrender all to Jesus. It is a monumental thought to be able to do this but perhaps a little at a time will bring me closer to my goal.
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