Yesterday I attended the celebration of life for Dr. Celeste Owens. She was a friend and sister in Christ that I met over a decade ago at church. Her ministry focused on surrender and has greatly impacted my life and the life of many throughout the world. She encouraged us all to make surrendering to God’s will a lifestyle. Her definition of surrender was doing God’s will, God’s way, all the time. She didn’t just talk the talk, she walked the walk up until the very end.
As I read her obituary, I was amazed at the amount of achievements she had in her 52 years on earth. She had earned a PhD, held positions on the public school and collegiate level, started a private practice, was a breast cancer survivor, local church ministry leader, global ministry leader, started a non-profit, led global missions to Africa, wrote several books, recorded many podcasts, conducted retreats, became a Certified Natural Health Professional, all in addition to being a phenomenal wife and mother. And I’m sure I’m missing a few of her accomplishments.
As I near my 48th birthday, I pondered how she could have done so much and made such an impact on so many in such a short time. That’s when God dropped into my spirit one word – obedience. To surrender – to do God’s will, God’s way, all the time – you first have to be willing to be obedient. Obedient to letting go of control, obedient to hearing what God has to say to you, obedient to stay still long enough to hear it, and most importantly obedient to act and do what God is telling you to do. I must admit I’m not always good at that last one – the doing. Celeste was a pro at it. God told her to do it and she did it without making excuses or entering into a long debate with God about how it’s just not the right time. She did her research and due diligence but she didn’t wait for perfection to implement the things God told her to do.
I plan to honor my friends life and legacy by doing just that over the next 40 days. I’m going to be obedient to the voice of God and surrender to Him that thing He has been whispering in my ear to let go of. I encourage you to do the same. If you are not familiar with Dr. Celeste Owens and her ministry, I invite you to visit her website at www.drcelesteowens.com to learn more about living a life of surrender. Be blessed!