I Surrender All

I thought last night about a song that holds so much meaning to me. Do you remember hearing about Christ for the first time? I do. When I was a little girl my parents would drop my siblings and I at the Lutheran Church and I loved hearing about Jesus.

Now my siblings would go across the street to the park but I on the other hand was drawn in to the church. I loved the smell. The feeling like I belonged. I loved the pews and the hymns. Oh the hymns. They spoke to my soul.

I loved Sunday School. Hearing the stories in the Bible gave me hope. They awakened things in me. I realized there was God, and he was alive. He sent his son to die for me. While I didn’t get the salvation message I got the message, the memo that there was someone out there who loved me more then I could ever love.

When I was a little older I changed to a church that had a bus ministry. Does anyone do that anymore? That bus driver he was a great guy. And I loved going to that church. The people were nice. They cared. In 6th grade I wrote a play that my Sunday School class performed.

While I still hadn’t accepted Christ.. I knew I needed to. In 9th grade (43 years ago) .. my best friend at the time and I went to a revival service. We were joking about going forward. I was being pulled, so was she.. we opted to go forward together.

As the altar call was given, all the stories I’d heard, the hymns I’d sang, the desires I’d had of being and wanting to know Christ came flooding out. I think even if my friend hadn’t gone forward I believe Christ in a tender voice was calling me.

The hymn that was playing in the background well one of them... drew me into accepting Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour. It gave me hope that I would go to Heaven someday.

Yesterday my niece invited me to listen to a church service. They sang that song. A few times. As I listened, the tears welled up in me and started to fall from my eyes and down my cheeks. It brought me back to those tender memories of learning of Christ.

And the floodgates of hymns no longer sang in church. Of times where I felt called to come and pray. Of worshippers connected in singing praise to Jesus. Oh the memories they flood my soul. They bring me back to him. To the when I first understood the Cross.

This song.. it reminds me..it calls me back to Christ. It brings me to church and to the altar. The altar where I asked Christ to come in my heart. Where I understood the message of John 3:16 God so Loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes on him will not perish but have everlasting life.

1 All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

2 All to Jesus I surrender,
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel Thy Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

3 All to Jesus I surrender,
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power,
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.