all to thee

We've all been in church services. We've experienced the invitation time at the end of the sermon. And you know exactly what hymns are on the cycle to be played during that time each and every Sunday. Be honest with yourselves. And I'm completely guilty of this sometimes, so I won't deny it. Most of the time, you completely ignore anything that is happening in that invitation, because it is the end of the service and you are ready to go get some lunch. Oh yeah, I just went there. Don't act like you've never done that! Anyways, my point is that the hymns used in the invitation part of the service are some of the best ones out there and that's exactly why they are used then. They are responsive. They are the most memorable. Just As I Am; Have Thine Own Way, Lord,; Softly and Tenderly, Jesus is Calling; What a Friend We Have in Jesus- CLASSICS! This is tieing into my main point, eventually.

As weeks go by, every couple of weeks or so, my life seems to develop a theme and revolve around a single word that describes how I feel, what I'm dealing with, or what is happening, for a certain amount of time, and then I move onto a different word. It may seem odd, but I think it is pretty awesome. I think about that word, dive into it, and it really gives me a new perspective on things. Don't judge! Anywho, my word right now is surrender. Completely surrendering to God and His will for me. The past few weeks, and really the past month, I have seen myself completely ignore and look over what God has for me, to focus on what I want, living selfishly. I have been needing to just break completely down and be humble before my God, and surrender every single thing to Him. My mind has just been cloudy lately, full of things that just seem pointless now, things that I have worried about, stressed over, and just completely dwelled on for weeks, when my mind should have been clear and on God. 

Thoughts of what I will do after I graduate college are always on my mind, and yes, I know I'm only a sophomore, but it's never too early to think about it, and who will tell me that plans don't change? Yeah, exactly. These same thoughts never go away, and when I think I have it figured out, I doubt myself. Why do I doubt myself? Because I am scared. I'm not trusting God with this, when I know for sure this is what He has made me to do. I have a calling...

Surrender is a pretty legit word. It's intense, just like the actual meaning. And it's hard. This surrender is taking me time, to clear my mind, to get priorities in order. He is revealing things I never would have thought He would show me...

What's my favorite invitation hymn? So glad you asked... I Surrender All! Have you ever read and actually taken in the words? Beautiful...

All to Jesus I surrender; 
 all to him I freely give; 
 I will ever love and trust him, 
 in his presence daily live. 

 I surrender all, I surrender all, 
 all to thee, my blessed Savior, 
 I surrender all. 

 All to Jesus I surrender; 
 humbly at his feet I bow, 
 worldly pleasures all forsaken; 
 take me, Jesus, take me now. 

All to Jesus I surrender; 
 make me, Savior, wholly thine; 
 fill me with thy love and power; 
 truly know that thou art mine. 

All to Jesus I surrender; 
 Lord, I give myself to thee; 
 fill me with thy love and power; 
 let thy blessing fall on me. 
 

All to Jesus I surrender; 
 now I feel the sacred flame. 
 O the joy of full salvation! 
 Glory, glory, to his name!