Surrender...

The Lord has really been speaking to me about surrender lately. I honestly feel I've already surrendered a lot in my life, even though I don't feel I am lacking much...I do feel I've let go of a lot of things. But recently the idea of really living more for the Lord has been on my heart.

Tonite, I read this and it really expressed what I been feeling and it encouraged me to continue to surrender my life to Him in a greater way.

Ch. 37 Total Self-Surrender Means Full Freedom of Heart
from "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a Kempis

Jesus:
My son (daughter or child :), if you lose yourself you will find me. Renounce your will and your possessions and you will be the one who gains thereby. As soon as you resign yourself to me and never withdraw your resolve, greater graces will be yours.

Disciple:
Lord, how often should I resign myself and what should I renounce?

Jesus:
Always and at all times, small things as well as great ones. I make no exceptions. I want to find you stripped naked of everything. Unless you outwardly and inwardly divest yourself of your will, how can you be mine, or how can I be yours?

The sooner you do this, the better off you will be. The more sincerely and the more completely you put this into practice, so much the more will you please me, and so much the greater the gain that will be yours.

...

Unless (you) unconditionally surrender (yourself) and daily offer (yourself) as a sacrifice to me, (you) will never achieve the true freedom of a pure heart, now will (you) obtain the grace of a delightful familiarity with me. Without such a self-surrender there can never be a happy and joyful union between us.

...Resign yourself, renounce yourself, then you will enjoy great interior peace. Give all for all, seek nothing in return and take nothing back. Remain unflinchingly in me and you will have me. You will then be free in heart and no darkness will overshadow you.

Let this be the goal of your striving and the object of your prayer, namely, to desire to be stripped of all your belongings and once naked, that you may be ready to follow the naked Jesus. You must die to yourself to live eternally with me.

All your foolish imaginings will disappear, as well as the evil thoughts and useless worries that plague you. All unreasonable fear will depart from you and all unregulated love will die in you.

I'm not there so don't hold this against me, but I desire this and as he said I want to strive for this in prayer and actions.