Surrender

As I sculpt wire words for dear friends and family, I get just as much out of it as I am putting in.  Their words speak to me, deepening my journey.  The words coincide with my pursuit this year, for freedom.  Surrender is a word chosen by a dear friend of mine who I admire for her strength, her courage, her faith...  just her choice to pick "surrender" speaks profoundly my friend's intense faith.

Then I took part in an Art Card Swap recently, and was paired with this wonderful artist, Edie, whose word for the year is "Release".  Above is a photo of the art card collage I made for her, to encourage her on her journey.  In return, I received a beautiful "Freedom" tag painted on front and back, the word freedom stenciled on, and a bird on one side, a butterfly on the other.  I put this in my Freedom Journal.  As I pondered release, which has so much to do with freedom, here is a poem I came up with, and wrote on the back of the art card:

"Release is a sweet surrender

in which inhibitions are unleashed,

the fragrant beauty of your soul is set free

and you sing."  ~Brianne, 4/16/12

This post would not be complete without the song "Remember Surrender" by Sara Groves.  Some of the lyrics replayed in my head this week, as I thought about "sweet surrender" and release and freedom.  And some of the lyrics are particularly poignant, as my family & I have just lost a cousin of my husband's whom both he & I were very close to and love dearly.  She was young, and this came suddenly and unexpectedly.  We prayed and waited expectantly for a miracle that wasn't in the plan.  These lyrics in bold speak to me especially: 

"Remember surrender • Remember the rest • Remember that weight lifting off of your chest • And realizing that it's not up to you and it never was • • Remember surrender • Remember relief • Remember how tears rolled down both of your cheeks • As the warmth of a heavenly father came closing in • • I want to do that again • Why can't I live there • And make my home • In sweet surrender • I want to do so much more than remember • • Remember surrender • Remember peace • Remember how soundly you fell fast asleep • In the face of your troubles your future still shone like the morning sun • • Remember surrender • Remember that sound • Of all of those voices dying down • But one who speaks clearly of helping and healing you deep within • • I want to do that again • Why can't I live there • And make my home • In sweet surrender • I want to do so much more than remember • • Remember • Oh surrender • • I want to do that again • Oh why can't I live there and make my home • In sweet surrender • I want to do so much more than remember • • Remember • • Remember surrender • Remember the rest • Remember that weight lifting off of your chest • And realizing that it's not up to you and it never was • •"

and I breathe a deep and grateful, long hallelujah....