CLOSET in Heart #4

Last nite when I woke up at 2 AM & lay there praying for all who came to mind, hoping to go back to sleep, at 3:30 AM I finally gave up, went got in hubby's recliner, played my recorded teachings from Charles Stanley that I'd not got to watch, and after the 1st one, tried to doze a bit. YES, THE FIRST ONE HIT REALLY HARD!  If you wish to hear it, you can go to this 1st link: http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.4943223/k.492B/In_Touch_Ministries__Video_Archives.htm If you want the printed version, go to this link: http://www.intouch.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=cnKBIPNuEoG&b=4944977&content_id={3AA363DE-B898-4039-9769-2FEB6E88E781}&notoc=1   Ain't God something to get you up so early in the quiet to teach you something?   Ps 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee. Yes, this video I recorded taught me the answer I so needed to clean my heart's closet.   The answer seemed so simple, as I listened....SURRENDER, PRAY.  But, I ask, do you really understand what SURRENDER means?  That means holding onto nothing...absolutely nothing.  I give up my rights & trust the Lord to work it all out.  I don't question the why, I don't demand my way and not pray and seek God's face for the answer.  Really, a pretty big order this SURRENDER thing.   However, in Rom 8:28 "And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to his purpose."  So, no matter what, no matter how it looks, no matter how it sounds, GOD IS WORKING IT OUT FOR MY GOOD ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE. Now, true, we humans get all tangled up in the NOW and isn't that where selfishness starts?  I want it and I want it now.  Now, said! I want! NOW!  We can't see that our troubles or waiting is for our good long term just as our own children can't see why they can't have a cookie NOW instead of first eating the good food.  Aren't we doing the same to God when we demand our own way NOW?  We see presently that the "broccoli" in our life is for our long term good.....we only see the cookie and the "broccoli" in our life is standing in the way of what we want NOW.Selfishness, just pure plain me, me, me, selfishness.   So, God, my good Father, has shown me the closet in my heart I didn't know was there.  He then pulled out only 1 item to show me.  Next, He gently let everything nasty begin to fall out of that closet. Lastly, He has shown me the answer to cleaning it so He can give me the good things, my "cookie" as it were. Surrender.....let us truly take the time today to examine that word.  Look it up in a dictionary and look really closely at our lives....WHAT AM I HOLDING ONTO THAT KEEPS MY FATHER FROM GIVING ME BETTER? This of course will require some quiet space of time to really pray, which is asking, and also LISTENING for God's response. Don't be surprised if you don't like what God points out.  That's for our best, honest. Why do we insist onto holding onto a silly sandwich of life with both fists when God is wanting to give us steak in our lives?  Because we are afraid to SURRENDER our sandwich we are so sure of to truly trust God has got steak. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, it's not like He needs our puny scrunched up sandwich that we think is so important in our lives. Well, as for me, I'm ready to give both of my clenched fists to God, spread them open, and say "Take whatever You want."  This is the only way He can have room to give me good things into my hands. Later, my peeps. Much love & hugs as I journey onto learning & letting go!