A song written in 1896 still drives me to tears. "I surrender all" by Judson W. VanDeVenter is a tearjerker. Do you know it? Our choir sang it this Easter, and I had to control my tears in order to sing. Mark 10:28 puts it this way: "Lo, we have left all and have followed thee." (KJV) I remember away back in my life when I literally left all to follow Jesus. I was at the Toronto School of Music and left to enter the deaconess school. I gave up a lot then, sacrificing it all to follow Jesus.

The song puts it in four verses, all pointing to the effort of giving it all up for Christ. The first verse deals with the first, basic surrender. I remember lying in bed wondering if I was right for the deaconess job. I prayed about it daily. In His presence, I found fullness of joy.

It is a humbling moment when one gives up all one had hoped for in life, but I surrendered it all. "Make me, Saviour, wholly Thine" is the way the author puts it in the third verse. Then he adds, "May I know Thy pow'r divine." He certainly realized what was involved in giving up everything, surrendering it all to the Lord's will. I remember how I lay in bed praying, "Lord, do I really have to surrender everything?" Yes, I did, that night, and I will always remember it.

God's peace descended as I realized how close Jesus had come, and I said, "Lord, I give myself to Thee." I could have written that hymn — it sure struck home as I echoed the words "I surrender all." It is in knowing that everything we do and hope to be is in surrender to the Lord. Then, the Holy Spirit takes control of our ups and downs, filling the heart with feelings of gratitude. I have belonged to the Lord ever since I surrendered it all that night. That complete surrender has gone with me through everything that I have done since: writing books in Jesus' name; giving sermons knowing that it all belongs to God — every word, the whole church, and all the people. Ever since that night years ago, I have realized that His blessings really have fallen on me, as if in answer to the hymn-writer's prayer, "Let Thy blessing fall on me." I am sure that His blessings will continue through life.

The surrender is complete. "All to Thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all." If you have not yet surrendered your life to the Lord, sing that song and let it all go into His loving embrace. Your future is in His hands — forever.

Prayer: Lord, sometimes, we get tears thinking about Your crucifixion and the horror of it all, watching You dying for the world and for each one of us. Lord, I do now leave it all and surrender to You, and I want to follow Your Spirit daily. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

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