He was small, but he was mighty! Our little shih tzu, Burford, used every one of his 15 pounds against me as I put him in the laundry room sink to give him a much-needed bath. The sweet little guy, he was so scared of bath time. After more than 10 years of being part of our family and the object of our affection, he still didn’t trust me when I put him in the sink.
Scared, clearly trying to protect himself, he fought a good fight. No matter how I tried to accommodate him, the fight ensued. I tried to be very gentle and sing to him. The only song I could ever think of in the moment was the theme song from The Brady Bunch. I think he grew to like it! So, there’s a visual for you. Me wrestling a water-logged pup, who is desperately clawing at the sides of the sink while I gently sing him the song about a man named Brady….
Burford would cough and hack, end up with soap in his eyes and mouth. He’d buck and writhe, causing water to spray against the walls. But it didn’t matter. We started this. We were going to finish it. He was going to get his bath. When he was finally too tired to fight anymore, we could move things along quickly and finish the task. And in the end, even though he didn’t understand, I knew he was going to feel better. And smell better!
If I’m looking for God everywhere, can I find Him in this every day, ordinary moment? Yes! Because, like Burford, I fight against God with all my might in many of the moments He is making me better!
His plan, His Promise, is to make me like Jesus. Every day, He is working in me to accomplish this. And I resist. I don’t want to speak kindly to the cashier at Acme who’s been so rude to me. I don’t want to drop the money from my wallet into the basket. I don’t want to apologize to my husband…again. Little things yes. But big in kingdom transformation.
And what about those big things? Sometimes, many times, I don’t want to trust my future to Him. Is He even working? I seem to be in the sink with no one tending to me. Is He there? Because it’s hard enough trusting Him when you recognize He’s working. It’s even harder when you don’t see Him doing anything.
“Resurrection comes after surrender.”
I heard this deep down in my spirit one evening and I knew it was my Abba because I knew it wasn’t me. It prompted me to think of Jesus, surrendered on the Cross. New life came after this surrender. New life comes after surrender.
I know God will not force anything in me or my life. He will not force even the good He wants to give me. When I won’t surrender, He waits for me to wear myself out. To surrender control and fear and self-protection. It’s as if He says to me, “Are you ready now?”
It’s here that He can get to work and bring about transformation in me.
What about you? What does your Daddy God want to do in you? Are you fighting or are you surrendering?
Grace comes on the yielded life.
If you’re having trouble knowing how to surrender instead of resist, please visit BridgetAndersonCoach.com. I’m a certified Christian Life Coach and it’s my mission to help women find the freedom and fullness God has for them.
Comments