Surrender

Once upon a time (does this sound like the beginning of a fairy tale?) I had occasion to take a class on Work and Spiritual Formation. It was a very intriguing and helpful experience that continues to impact my thinking about related issues. One thing that made the class interesting was the format – we had several guest lecturers that were people of Christian faith and also powerful business leaders. One of those people was the President of a large international logging company based in Vancouver. His personal story was one of triumphing over the odds. He had grown up in a poor family, was a survivor of childhood polio, and had come back from the ashes of business defeat more than once. He was a fighter, a self made man.

There was a question period at the end of his lecture, and I got the chance to ask the question that had been haunting me throughout his talk.  “Is there ever a right time to give up?”  His answer was immediate, forceful and somewhat dismissive.  “Never!” And we were on to the next question.

Looking back on it, I’ve realized that I could have chosen my words better. To this man, “giving up” meant folding, capitulating to circumstance or environment. What I was after was a question about something on a deeper level. A better word would have been “surrender”.

“Is there ever a right time to surrender?”  I wonder if that question would have gotten his attention. It will be our focus when we gather this week, so. when your alarm goes off on Sunday morning, may I respectfully suggest that you choose not to give up on getting up, but rather that you surrender your desire for more sleep and join us at The Exchange Cafe at 10:30. Coffee’s on…

Peace,

Tim