Surrender

In a world that often shouts, “Be strong, be in control,”  

We walk the line between courage and the shadows that patrol.  

But what if I told you that surrender isn’t an ending?  

It isn’t a past tense binding, with no more pretending?  

It’s a present, active choice—a daily embrace  

Of the cross we must carry, each step a new grace.

I remember the nights when darkness seemed to win,  

When despair wrapped around me, and I felt trapped within.  

Thoughts spiraled like autumn leaves, chaotic and loud,  

I wrestled with silence, both violent and proud.  

I spoke the word “surrender” like a distant prayer,  

Waiting for a miracle that floated in thin air.

But surrender isn’t rest; it’s a battle we fight.  

Every morning I rise, choosing faith over fright.  

It’s the decision to lay down my burdens, my pride,  

To invite in the Savior, let Him be my guide.

How often do we grasp at the reins of our lives,  

Mistaking control for strength, as our spirit slowly dies?  

But here’s the truth: the more that I cling,  

The further I fall from the freedom He brings.  

Surrender isn’t a word that ends in a pause;  

It’s an active engagement, a living cause.

In Luke 9:23, the call is quite clear,  

“Take up your cross daily,” the message sincere.  

It’s not a one-time gesture nor a fleeting choice,  

It’s the rhythm of trust, a resounding voice.  

To deny myself each moment, each hour, each day,  

To release my mortality, let my spirit sway.  

I found strength in the stories that we all share,  

In the battles you fight, in the love and the care.  

Together we rise, united in grace,  

Walking the path with courage, a sacred space.  

There’s healing in honesty, in the tears that we cry,  

In laying our burdens together, we learn how to fly.

So I stand before you today, scars on my soul,  

But in every failure, He makes me whole.  

For every time I stumble, His light shines through,  

Inviting me back to this journey so true.  

In surrendering self, I find My true worth,  

Rooted in love, reborn from the earth.

So choose today to surrender the weight,  

It’s not just a moment; it’s a journey, a fate.  

Pick up your cross, yes, it’s heavy, it’s real,  

But in the arms of the Savior, we learn how to heal.  

-Crystal Rapp

Kingdom Life AZ Founder/Executive Director