“Surrendering the pen to God does not commission God to fashion our trials. Instead, surrendering the pen to God acknowledges His good will and ability to author our victories.” -Lesley Sturm
What does it mean to surrender the pen to God?
Surrendering the pen is a phrase I coined to symbolize my submission to seeing God’s goodness in all situations. I coined this phrase during a time in my life when I found myself asking “WHY?” more often than any other question. We lost a son. His name was Elijah Marc. He was precious and perfect. We loved him with all our hearts. For him we had hopes and dreams. He was our baby boy. I held him in my womb and felt him move. His body failed him. He was stillborn. I felt empty. My heart was broken. My mind began to numb as no attempts to rationalize brought peace. When I realized no answer to “why” would bring him back I began feeling God drawing me to a place of acceptance…submission…surrender. Initially, I was afraid to surrender. I feared surrendering meant I was inviting Him to author my ultimate defeat.
Many people respond to the trials in their own lives and even the trials in others’ lives with a belief that God must have authored such trials to teach them a lesson or get their attention. Yet, I argue that He is GOD. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end. He is the creator. Why would He be confined to creating trials for the purpose of getting our attention or teaching us a lesson? He is able to do anything; why would He choose to harm his children “for their own good?” So it really is a question of what we believe about His nature. Is He truly good? Does He truly love us? Is His will toward everyone good? Does He will good for me? Does He love me?
God loves everyone. He really, really loves us. He loved us before we knew Him, before we believed in Him, and before we knew sin was sin. He loved us when we received Him. He loved us when we sinned even after receiving Him. His love is unfailing and unchanging. He IS Love. Love isn’t just something He does; it is something He is. If love is something He is, how could He ever separate Himself from love? How could He ever conduct Himself in a manner void of love? If anything is impossible for God, it is impossible for Him to do anything apart from love. Surrendering the pen involves first accepting the reality that He really loves us.
As I surrender the pen to God I acknowledge His willingness and profound desire to write something beautiful in my life and through my life. Rather than being swept away by the current of voices speaking their ideology regarding why circumstances occurred or unfolded in a particular way, I choose to be still and know He is God. Though tragedy may strike and loss may occur, I know I have an enduring relationship with an eternal God who loves me and will work all things together for good. Does that mean he authored the hardships in my life? No. Instead, He authored each of my victories when I submitted to His guidance. He authors my joy when I submit to seeing life through His eyes. He welcomes me to embrace the beauty He brings from the ashes.
Rather than numbing my desire for rational explanations with the thought that God authored this awful trial “for a reason” I accept the reality that such things occur on this flawed planet. In other words, “It is what it is…now what?” I find great strength in such an approach to life. I find my faith strongest and my heart bravest when acknowledging trials as mountains or a ravines along this journey which I travel with a most capable and loving companion rather than a punishment or swift kick against my backside by a stern, bitter, and angry authority figure.
Surrendering the pen to God allows us to enter the realm of gratitude. God’s will for us is to be thankful in all situations. We may not find ourselves thankful for all trials and pain, but we can certainly live in a state of gratitude in all circumstances by looking for the good God will author when we surrender our will to His. I have a choice. I can choose to magnify the loss, or I can choose to magnify His persistent goodness in spite of the loss.
When you surrender the pen to God you will see beauty arise from the rubble, realize hope emerging from the shadows, and encounter peace which transcends all understanding.
To Surrender the Pen:
- Accept the reality that God really loves you…He always has, and He always will.
- Choose to be still and know He is God.
- Resist the temptation to rationalize trials.
- Elevate your perspective by asking God to reveal Himself in each situation.
- Pursue Him…never stop pursuing Him.
- Recognize trials as realities and God as the redeemer.
- Vocalize your gratitude in all situations for specific sightings of His goodness.
- Adopt a forward-moving mentality rather than focusing on the past.
God writes the most beautiful stories. He is my joy. He is my peace.
© 2012 Lesley Sturm
