It is key to accept the direction that God has set for a soul. To not follow this path will lead to a continuous sense of ‘recalculating’ for the soul, an unease. Things will seem to always been rougher than one thinks is fair or will be out of sorts. Worse yet, the soul will become used to being off the set course and stop paying attention to the directions being given for the course of life.
Psalm 139 beautiful describes this GPS. Before we were knit, before God even called the light, He knew my soul and the course of His desire, the soul’s best path to find the way to its destination – that is, back home to its Creator. God always knew that the soul would have His greatest gift, free will. And with this gift, the soul was free to choose its own course in life. That path could be simple and easy but staying on track, always keeping its eyes on the Prize, life in Jesus forever in Heaven. But, God being the great lover of the soul would account for changes in course, different paths and even the absolute “no” of the soul to His guidance.
How many times in my life have I been there? I knew in my heart the right way to travel, but would obstinately go my own way – the song of the soul in hell, “I did it MY way”. But, God never gave up nor was He ever surprised. He always had a plan of ‘recalculating’ and redirecting the course of my life to veer me back to Him. It has taken many years or wondering around, sometimes aimlessly to realize that my path was never aimless. God was always ‘recalculating’ for me.
Like a great chess master, He was always looking many moves ahead, anticipating my next move and directing my moves to His Victory. He kept forming the soul until it started to recognize the whispering voice…that ‘still small voice’ (1 Kings 19:12) through the noise the world had created, that I had created, to block it out. And slowly I began to hear.
Now, the more I hear this voice in my life, the more I am becoming used to its lovely sound. And the more used to it that I become, the louder it is. It’s not that the voice is any more forceful then previously, God is always the gentleman, He will never force His way into our lives but this is when that gift of free will becomes truly a gift. This is when surrender and abandonment become real and desired.
Father, I give you my fiat and ask that You take my broken and damaged will in exchange for your perfect Divine Will. I give you my distracting sins, sins that are roadblocks to Your Divine Will, in exchange for Your Divine Mercy. Lord, I am Yours fully from this moment on, it is no longer my Will but Your Will that I desire (Divine Mercy in my soul #372) and when I forget, Father, I give you permission to ‘recalculate’ my course.
Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures. I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul; i offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father. AMEN!
The Prayer of Abandonment, written by Blessed Charles de Foucauld, is a beautiful prayers of faith, trust and surrender in the Christian spiritual heritage. Memorize it, pray it often, and share it with others!