Submission

As I've been reading my super duper wonderful book, "Following God With All Your Heart" by Elizabeth George, I've been faithfully doing as she recommends-reading and memorizing scripture, staying in prayer, meditating on God's word. I'm so new at this Christian thing and found her advice really helpful for starter outters. I've realized what God's will is for my life. It's no big secret, by the way. It's right smack dab in front of all of us and we're too dumb to see it. At least I was.

Anyways, Dana is to the part about submission. Boy, this is a tough one. I won't lie. The most evident form of submission it talks about is a wife submitting to her husband. Ohmygoodness! Um. Well, let's see. How about not, Elizabeth? Why is this concept so hard for me to understand? I can respect deferring to others, choosing to let them have authority and control. But, I really gotta step down below the Tobster and let him run this show?

Let's see, my husband cannot find the salsa without my help much less lead our family's way through this journey of life into eternity. Right? Seriously, he's um, a man! I thought this was a 50/50 gig I signed up for. All my life I've been told we're equals. But, the more I learn about submission, the more I pray and read on it, the more I think there is something here. And, as I type that I cannot believe that my mind is actually saying it's a good thing to be a servant of my husband. Either God is working in my life or I am smoking the crack and don't know it!

What exactly is submission? A few definitions I read in the book were "to bend" or "no resistance." I also think of it as serving. Ranking yourself below someone else. My husband always tries these fancy Brazilian Ju Jitsu moves on me. Yes, I am the guinnea pig. He gets me all twisted and pretzeled up and then puts the pressure on the ankle which in turn puts pressure on the neck and spleen and the opponent must "submit." He knows he's been beat. Submit or be broken.

In the book it discusses a few different submissive relationships including children to their parents and servants of God to each other. The thing about submitting, unlike in MMA, is that it's not losing. It's surrendering. It's liberating oneself to God. Allowing him to take the control, saying you are here to work as His lowly servant. And in that submission, knowing and believing that He will provide and take care of you. Elizabeth also points out how submission is a CHOICE. That choice starts at home, with our family, wives to husbands and husbands to wives, and extends to others from there.

We live in a world, as I have realized through the Beth Moore study of Daniel, that wants us to focus on ourselves. Today I am going to do what I can to submit myself to His people, the people I love, and serve them with energy, grace, and joy. If we submit to God, we will NOT reach a breaking point because we are in His hand.

Although I don't know where the line between 'doormat' and 'lowly servant' divides, I pray that I will gain the wisdom that will guide me to being a a great wife, a great mom, a great daughter, and a great servant of God.

And, just think, "You GET to clean toilets today!" What an honor to serve God's people! It's all about perspective.