Constant Surrender

October 5, 2008

Dear Friends,

A short time ago, a dear friend of mine named Judi experienced one of those days when “everything that can go wrong, did go wrong.” Judi was in charge of a Potluck Lunch to be held at her church—an event that was usually attended by about 70 people. That day, the electricity went out, so any food that required heating had to be eaten cold . . . or not served at all. It was a particularly hot, humid afternoon, and without electricity there was no air conditioning. And when they tried to open the windows for some relief, only one would budge, so they couldn’t even catch a breeze. Then, to make matters worse, the toilets overflowed.

After noticing how smoothly and calmly Judi continually adjusted to the ever-worsening situation, a woman came up to her and said, “Wow, Judi, you sure know how to go with the flow!” When Judi got home that evening, she immediately called me to express her appreciation for “teaching her how to go with the flow.” As we spoke, though, it occurred to me that her gratitude was perhaps unnecessary.

Even without the benefit of my lessons, there is a very good possibility that Judi would have been in the flow anyway. How so? Simply because it is easier to be in the flow when things really get out of hand than it is when things are just slightly unmanageable. It is when things are obviously out of control that we give up the idea that we can control what is going on, and we tend to surrender.

It is in that state of surrender that we become genuinely open to whatever is required of us in that moment. We stop resisting what is, and we stop trying to force things to go the way we “think” they should go. Instead, we desire only to know the next right step that will be in the best interests of all. And it is in that state of genuine receptivity that we begin hear and heed the still, small voice of spirit that is always there to guide us.

The real challenge—which is what I am building up to—is relinquishing personal control when the situation does seem controllable. You see, living life in the divine flow requires you to constantly stay in “surrender mode”—no matter how easy it would be for you to manipulate a situation to your liking.

That doesn’t mean that you never take any action at all. It just means that before you take any action, you get quiet, go within, and try to get in touch with the wisdom of your spirit. You may get the guidance that you should refrain from taking any action at that moment. Or, you might be inspired to take some kind of action that you have never taken before. The key is to avoid jumping to conclusions, assuming that you know best, and acting hastily.

Remember that living life in the divine flow is about being willing to seek divine direction in every situation—even the situations that look like you can easily and instantly handle them on your own. That kind of mindfulness will require a conscious effort on your part, true . . . and it may require a fair amount of humility, too . . . but the outcome will be well worth it.

Steven

© 2008 by Steven Lane Taylor
Author of Row, Row, Row Your Boat:
A Guide for Living Life in the Divine Flow