I surrender

Greetings Beloved Soul Travelers,

Every month we pull an oracle card, and this month is the Surrender Card.  Thinking about “surrender,” it occurs to me that it can be small, such as surrendering to the fact that you forgot the butter when you went shopping. So instead of beating yourself up about it, you simply let it go. “Yup, I forgot the butter.”

But surrendering can also be big.

I’m going to tell you about something ‘big’ from my life.  I grew up with a very judgmental mother. For example, I got a lead in my high school class play.  I was so excited and hoped that my mother would praise my acting ability when she saw me in the play. Instead she screamed and threw things at me, saying she was profoundly humiliated because my shoes hadn’t been polished enough in the play, and consequently she couldn’t go out in public. (My mother was diagnosed as being paranoid schizophrenic, but 60 years ago help wasn’t as available, as it is now.)

Honestly, I don’t ever remember being complimented when I was growing up. Here’s the thing; you’d think that living with a demeaning mother that I’d want to get as far away from her as I could. But instead there was a part of me that yearned for her love and acceptance.

Then one day I had a remarkable realization. I knew that she would never approve of me. I knew that she would never love me. I stated out loud, “I surrender” and I released the desire to ever receive her love. It was okay. Instantly it felt like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I truly let it all go.

Here’s what’s amazing … the next time I saw her (and it was also the last time) she complimented me. She said, “My goodness, you turned out well.”

I was wobbled to my core with these words. I honestly had a hard time believing that she actually uttered them, but I also knew that my willingness to let it go had made the difference. That is the power of surrendering.

If you want to transform your life, surrender to what is. Instead of fighting the current of the river, take a moment to go with the flow and see what it takes you.

As a suggestion, examine your life and see if there is anything that you have been holding onto for a long time. Perhaps it’s now time to let it all go. Perhaps it’s time to surrender and turn it all over to Spirit. It can be as simple of saying out loud, “I’m ready and willing to let go.”

You have my love and support on your journey in life,

Denise