“O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!”
Surrender is a powerful word and a task that does not come easy to many. To surrender to God, one must lift up worries, anxieties, and sometimes how you plan something in your life. By doing this, you are acknowledging the love and power of The Creator. The one who knows all and loves all. This will lead you to a stronger connection with Christ, and allow you to let go of the distractions in life that can stray you away from a fruitful relationship with God.
At times in my life, as a follower of God and his teachings, I have been directed to surrender, yet lacked the confidence to truly do so. This is something I continue to work on in my relationships, work, and faith. I relate the act of surrendering to working out a muscle in the body. It must be worked, trained, and strengthened. You may not see results; or the results you were expecting. It may be tiresome or daunting at first. It may be easier to not address certain things and distract yourself with worldly things. However, you will experience an overwhelming sense of gratitude and clarity for lifting and surrendering your worries to God.
I tend to carry my burdens and worries, along with the worries and burdens of others. Being a first-year teacher, I was forced to put this into practice more than ever. I teach at a Catholic Charities site for families with young children who have experienced homelessness and an immense amount of trauma. The motto that drives our work is education can change generational poverty. Teaching motivation and consistency to not only the children but the parents are the main focus this year. I dreamed of making a tangible impact and one that was visible from the beginning. Each day I must remind myself, change is not easy, especially for families in trauma. The bad days seemed to multiple, and the good were few and far between. I learned to put my expectations aside and meet the residents wherever they are at. I adapted to the challenges each day offered and trusted that I am doing enough. I surrender to His plan and not my own. A saying that resonates with me in this works is: success looks different here. There were many times I would call my mom after an eventful day of work or sit in a quiet place with my rosary wrapped around my fingers. In conversation with my mom and God, I would be reminded to let go and surrender the burden and worries I placed on myself of falling short in my work. I surrender the thoughts and feelings I had towards the decisions of the residents. I surrender and trust I am in this work for a reason. I surrender and become a consistent face of love and compassion for these families. The same face I know He looks down onto me. My job is always evolving as does my perspective, however I am able to stay rooted in my trust and surrender all to God.
“O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!”
—Matthew Braatz/English Teacher and Guest Blogger
