I Surrender All -- Grace

This morning I had a really deep conversation with my grandma.  She told me something I've never heard before, and it really hit me.

She said that one time, she was listening to an Andy Griffith tape, and he was singing the old Protestant hymn, "I Surrender All".  I love this hymn -- it is so pretty and I, too, had a testimony about it once -- and so I knew exactly which one she meant.

Grandma said that when she was listening to "I Surrender All", something occurred to her which she had never thought about.  She realized that God doesn't want just her good, perfect, acceptable, beautiful side.  He also wants her tarnished, rusty, grimy, dusty side.  And when we give Him that side, He can change it and make us totally perfect.

That really hit me, especially later on this morning.  And then I wrote this poem.  Grandma entitled it, "I Surrender All".

I held out my hand to the Master;

"I did this for You," I said,

Hiding from Him behind me

My sins of remorse and dread.

He took my gift of richness,

And smiled at my prize.

Then putting it with the others,

He looked into my eyes.

"Your work is greatly needed,"

He said, with smiling face,

"But dear, there is more you have done;

Come, freely accept My grace."

"But Lord, that work is dirty!  

See it stained with grime and dust.

And Lord, You in Your glory

Are gracious and good and just."

I looked to the things I'd hidden...

What else could He see in there?

Faltering, I took my sin,

And gave Him every care.

He smiled and took my pain --

He'd known it all along.

And in my very weakness,

He took me and made me strong.

And then He took my garment,

And washed it in His blood,

And now I stand unashamed,

Washed in the cleansing flood.

~ Yours Truly, February 9th, 2016.

I love this verse --

"He smiled and took my pain --

He'd known it all along.

And in my very weakness,

He took me and made me strong."

:)

~ Grace