At the start of 2020, I chose two words as my leading intention for this year:
Releasing Wholeheartedly.
Had I known what this year would bring both personally and as part of our global family, perhaps I’d replace the word ‘Release’ with ‘Surrender’.
2020 has taught me that sometimes it isn’t just about releasing fear, but rather surrendering to faith.
Surrendering my fears at the feet of my Jesus and offering him my full faith – as meager or marked by tears as it may be at times – has been the transformative blessing this year continues to bring me.
Faith in Him, faith in humanity, faith in better days to come. Wholehearted trust, wholehearted love, wholehearted living.
As we enter into these closing months of 2020, I am especially grateful for the lessons of Surrender. I know there are many reasons to fear, each of them valid and real. And because of this year, I also know that there are many reasons to hope.
So if you find yourself surrendering to the fears that rise in your chest, remember there are more ways to surrender than one. Step by step, day by day, you can lean into love and surrender to faith – trusting that you do not walk this life alone. You never have.
I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song.”
2 Nephi 22:2