The Gift of Relinquishment. . .

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go - Arrangement by Art Turner
(Please click for background music as you read this message of H.I.M.)

I remember, vividly, when teaching Jake, our dog, when he was much younger, the importance of letting go of his favourite toy, his big, white rope. Oh, how he struggled. He

would tug, he would pull back, he would try breaking away, but he just did not want to let go! He didn’t understand the reward he would receive, if he just listened and obeyed. Hence, it took a while for us to come to an understanding. Working patiently with him, though, he, eventually, did learn to let go on command. In return, he received many rubs and hugs with much praise; and, of course, was given back his big, white rope to play with again. How delighted he would be as he pranced around the yard with his big, tan, bushy tail wagging high into the sky!  He finally understood the importance of submission and relinquishment.

This little scenario, made me think of my relationship with my heavenly Father, when He is teaching me the very same lesson ~ “relinquishment”.  How often I will,

figuratively speaking, try jumping ahead or going about to and fro trying to find possible solutions to help my healing or, at best, put my disease to some sort of rest; particularly, when recently being told my target therapy medication was no longer working, based on the results of my latest CT scans.  The disease continues to progress. I know there is no cure, but I keep searching to see if, in fact, there may be some new drug that could, at least, help make this disease respond and not be so resistant. How I pray that I may have some reprieve.  To understand why some are and others are not healed is beyond human logic and comprehension. There isn’t an answer, but an acceptance that God works with each one of us uniquely. There is no “standard” of care by which God follows; however, He does look at each one of children through His “compassionate” care and complete love individually.    

There is no one else on the face of the earth, who displayed “relinquishment” more than Jesus, himself.  I cannot begin to imagine the pain and suffering He had to bear. However, not once did He ever disobey His Father’s command, but said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). Jesus’ will was complete relinquishment of his own will, complete helplessness, while being totally dependent on His Father’s will for everything. “I do nothing for myself, but as my Father has taught me.” (John 5:30).        

Hence, in order to see God’s will in my life, I have learned, I must completely relinquish all self-will by completely handing over to God my entire life to do as He so chooses, in order for me to see what He has planned for me when I read Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans of peace, not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  And you shall seek me and find me with your whole heart.” In other words, He will give us the “wisdom to know” and “courage to go” beyond where one cannot imagine when putting one’s trust in Him.  To know His will in our lives, we must willingly listen and follow Him without hesitation, while we trust and obey.  Meanwhile, God, who is my Great Healer, patiently waits for me to yield to Him one hundred percent of myself; in other words, relinquish myself to Him, while never losing sight of Him, as He plans the remains of my days.

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“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain:
For the former things are passed away.”
Revelation 21:4