Elizabeth Pardi is a wife, mother, writer, runner and perpetual pajama wearer. She writes from Columbus, OH where she seeks joy by learning and laughing her way through the messiness of this journey. Read more of her work at <a href="http://lovealwaysliz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lovealwaysliz.com</a>.

Elizabeth Pardi

<div class="text readable">There was a time when I believed that life as a true Christian–one who loves the Lord with all my heart, soul, and mind–was too complicated. The notion of surrendering everything to God is something I found daunting. It took a very honest conversation with a good friend to enlighten me. I lamented to her that complete surrender was intimidating to me. I was under the naïve impression that handing things over to God meant losing them. My friend did a brilliant job of simplifying things and I’ve never forgotten what she taught me: “The only thing God is actually asking of you is your will. Everything else is already his.” My will. It’s the one thing our patient God refuses to tamper with out of his desire to extend true freedom to his children. This changed everything for me. I realized that I don’t have to give up my family, work, or passions. Those things are already in God’s hands. My will is the one thing that is entirely mine to govern. Surrendering it to God is a daily decision that entails turning away from sin and trusting in the Lord’s plans for me.</div>