[00:00:01] Jessica: Hey, friend. Welcome to Perspectives into Practice, a place where life's stories meet practical wisdom. Together, we'll explore how faith filled perspectives can transform the way we live, love and grow.
So grab a seat, settle in, and join us on this journey to turn inspiration into action.
Let's dive in.
Hey, friend. Welcome back to Perspectives into Practice. Today we're talking about something that every believer wrestles with at some point. Surrender. It's one of those words that sounds simple until God actually asks us to live it. We all want to trust him with our future, our plans, our dreams. But letting go of control can actually feel very uncomfortable, uncertain, and sometimes even scary. The beautiful part is that God doesn't ask us to surrender because he wants to take something from us. He usually asks us to surrender because he has something even better waiting on the other side of our obedience. And that's why I'm excited about our conversation today. I have my new friend Brianna here with us. And she has walked through seasons where God has asked her to trust his timing over her own. She's learned that surrender isn't just one big decision, it's a daily choice that continues to draw her closer to Jesus. Welcome, Brianna. I'm so glad that you, you're here.
[00:01:26] Briana: Hi, Jaz. Thanks so much for having me.
[00:01:29] Jessica: I'm so, I'm so excited about this. I. I stuttered over your name because it's my sister's name and our friends know her and anyway, I was like, I feel like I should say that. But you know what, I just put it in here. So this is not my sister Brianna, but we are sisters in Christ, which is just beautiful.
[00:01:48] Briana: Yes, we are. And it's a great name.
[00:01:51] Jessica: It is a great name. It is a great name. All right, so before we dive into today's conversation, y', know, I love a good fun fact. And Brianna, you told me that you were a distant cousin of George Washington, which I think is so neat. I love history of all forms. So of course I have to know, how in the world did you find that out? And like, was it a family story or. Tell me.
[00:02:15] Briana: So I only learned this within the past couple of months.
America, right? The timing was kind of perfect.
And it was through a genealogical website.
And it was one of those things where I have been interested in genealogy. I have family who are interested in genealogy. So like, you know, we're all on the website, we're all doing all these things and it just sort of popped up randomly. I'm like, I don't. How did. I. Did I overlook this at some point, I. I do not understand.
But yes, it pops up and it's like, it doesn't even just say, oh, by the way, it gives you the whole family tree to like prove how you are related.
[00:02:51] Jessica: Wow.
[00:02:52] Briana: Which is wild.
And it's like George Washington's like, grandmother or great grandmother, I can't remember exactly off my head.
But like, her sister is how I'm related. So that direct is there. So there's like a set of grandparents, I guess, that we would share. It was just absolutely wild to me to see that. I was like, wait a minute. And I live in Virginia. Like, I'm really not that far from Mount Vernon.
[00:03:22] Jessica: Oh, my goodness.
[00:03:23] Briana: I'm like, I guess I gotta go visit cousin George's house now.
[00:03:29] Jessica: I love that so much.
Oh, my goodness. Yes. We have a family tree that we've been just building and building and it's fuller in some parts and less in some. But I'm gonna have to go. You've encouraged me. I should go and look and see. What have I missed? Maybe I am a distant crazy relative of somebody that I don't know. I mean, we should all go check it out.
I love that. Well, today we're not talking about family history per se, but we are talking about something that every one of us has had to learn with our walk with Jesus, and that is surrendering our plans and trusting the Lord. So you said something that stood out to me earlier and you described surrender as a daily choice instead of a one time decision, which I absolutely love. So where did. Where do you think that God first began teaching you that lesson?
[00:04:22] Briana: So I know exactly when. It was a couple of years ago, when I was walking through a season of burnout, and this was kind of burnout across the board. I was, I admit, overly involved in my church, loved what I was doing, but like, it was definitely taken a lot out of me.
[00:04:37] Jessica: Yeah.
[00:04:38] Briana: You know, and I was working full time at a job that was taking a lot out of me. And it was just like, okay, Lord, it is time for a change. Because this, I. This is not sustainable.
And so the Lord started teaching me about surrender at that point. Point.
And I can tell you, even the exact month, not the exact date, don't remember that, but it was December of 2022 that the Lord really started putting it on my heart. And since then I've continued to learn this lesson because kind of like how it's not just a one time surrender to the Lord or one time practice. It's also not a one time Lesson. It is something that is just constantly evolving, and there's always something new. I mean, almost every day the Lord is asking me to surrender in a way that I didn't expect. And then I'm seeing the results on the other side going, this is amazing. Like, I'm aghast sometimes. It's fantastic.
[00:05:36] Jessica: Yes. I, you know, I. I love that that happened in November, because November, you know, it's fall time. The leaves are releasing. They're surrendering their leaves for the newness that comes in spring. And I think that's a really great visual picture of what the Lord does for us. But I feel like it seems like the Lord often brings us through these surrenders when life doesn't unfold the way that we expected. Like, he's asked us to do these things. We. A lot of times, and I hear that so often is a lot of times we are just so full of everything. Too many things that he's like, hey, you gotta give something up. You're like, but, Lord, it's all so good.
We just have no idea. Right? And so you walked through that season where your plans had to be put on hold. And so looking back, what do you think that God was doing in your heart during that waiting season?
[00:06:28] Briana: Softening it, because I was very stubborn. I very much thought that was where I was going to be for a very long time. I thought I was going to be in that job for probably until I retired.
I thought I was going to be in that same town, in that same house, in that same church for at least the next several years.
It just wasn't something that I had no desire at that point, at least that I wanted to make those changes.
But the Lord was like, no, no, it's time. You need to start considering some alternative options.
And I was like, a little. Little resisted. I will admit. I resisted at first. I was like, wait a minute. I like what's happening here. And the Lord was like, do you.
And so, you know, I really had to do some. Some soul searching. Go okay. You know what?
God's right. I. This is not a good place for me. That burnout was. I mean, it was destroying me in some very real ways. And, you know, thank you, goodness. The Lord pulled me out of that. Yeah.
[00:07:36] Jessica: I think that waiting is the way that he really reveals where we're trusting, what. What we're trusting, who we're trusting in. And I feel like we get really comfortable in situations, even if they're uncomfortable situations or we don't love every bit of it, but the comfort, it comes from knowing what to expect and what is there. So when the Lord asks us to surrender those things and give those to him for an unknown, which might be way more cushy comfortable than where we at, the unknown is uncomfortable. And I think a lot of times we don't want to release to do that because we do have to trust more. And I just think it's beautiful that he allows us to process these things so gently. And he doesn't just typically, sometimes he does just strip things away, but typically he's really gentle with it. And so was there a moment when you realized that God's timing was actually better than. And the timeline that you had planned for yourself?
[00:08:38] Briana: Yes. So within the past, going on couple of years now, I've moved to a different town, different house, different church, still within the same denomination, but it's still a different church family than what I grew up with for over 20 years.
New job, like new community. Right. All of these changes happened really within the course of a two year period.
And I'm like, okay, well I. And none of it was anything that as of November 2022, that I had any idea was coming down the road. I never could have predicted it.
And so. But the Lord knew, He knew, he was like, all right, we're going to make sure that you are prepared. And that was really what was beautiful about it too, was that the Lord was taking these moments with me and preparing me. And there were definitely some that were outside of my comfort zone.
But, but every time that he was stretching me, he was right there beside me. I was never alone.
It was just beautiful. It, I love, uncomfortable at the time, I'll admit, but I can look back on it now and go, wow.
[00:09:53] Jessica: Yeah, I, I love, I love hearing that. Because he wasn't just changing your circumstances, he was changing your perspective in that.
But so gently. And that's the thing that I think that we often forget is that he's not changing things and stirring things up and asking us to surrender, to be mean or malicious or what. Like he wants us to trust him more. And that surrender, that full surrender of open hands, dump it out, shake around is, is the type of surrender that he wants. Because even if we're holding, I just saw a video and maybe y' all have seen it too, and a person is holding a knife, a woman is holding a knife and she asks her husband to take the knife away. And he says, I'm not taking the knife away. You're, you're holding it. And she's like, why won't. But why won't you take it away? He's like, if I take it away, it's going to cut your hand. And she goes, oh, okay. And that, that picture is like, if we're holding so tightly to things that we can get hurt when the Lord needs things away from us, but if we can just open our hands, whether open palms up or open palms down, so that everything is falling out, that type of surrender is, is freeing and easy. And there's so much beauty on the other side of surrender. If we'll just be obedient when he asks us to and take that next right step when he's asked us to. But that means that we're having to lean into him and to listen to him and to know his voice, which means we have to be reading His Word to know what his voice says.
So it's, it's this, you know, we talk about this all the time on here, but it's just this cyclical thing. If we're talking to him and we're reading His Word and when he asks us to do things, it is easier even when there is resistance. Because we're human, right? We're human and we just want things to always just be good and never change if it's, if it's good. So you mentioned that even though you trusted God, that you did still feel nervous sometimes. And I think that's.
I think that's something that we can all relate to. So how has God met you in those moments of resistance?
[00:12:06] Briana: God has answered prayers in ways that I never could have anticipated.
And that has been probably the most mind blowing lesson or part of the lesson that I've learned as I've surrendered because it is multifaceted. But yeah, yeah, for me, it was, Lord, I don't, I don't know about this. Like, I, you know, do I want to. Do I want to have to go find a new job? Because let's be honest, the job market and finding a new job is not fun for anyone. I was like, do I really want to put myself through this?
Um, and so it was just one of those things where I, I was really coming at it from a very worldly point of view. And I totally admit that. Yeah, right. Like, I was worried about, like, my health insurance and my bank account and like all of these worldly things which are valid concerns, but they're not the things that I, My perspective really had to shift because those were not the things that I needed to be focusing on when God wanted to use Me, because ultimately how God uses me is not necessarily how I wanted to be used.
[00:13:12] Jessica: It's.
[00:13:12] Briana: I love how God is using me now. But a couple of years ago I was like, lord, no, I don't want to do this.
Yeah, yeah, I was honest with him. And that was part of it too, was making sure that I was spending that time in prayer, in conversation with the Lord and being open and honest and saying, lord, I don't, I don't like this. I don't know where you're leading me. I am a little apprehensive about where you're leading. I cannot see this finish line.
[00:13:42] Jessica: Yeah.
[00:13:43] Briana: What do I do? And ultimately surrender isn't just, okay, you're going to handle my future. It's also that emotional part as well of saying, okay, I accept that you know better. You're going to hold me, you're going to carry me through this. You're not letting me down in any way.
And we're going to walk together because our relationship with Jesus is not a one way street. Right. It is a two way street. This is a partnership.
And just shifting my perspective and looking at it that way, it just made me so much more malleable as far as like, oh, my heart is much softer. I'm much more willing to do this.
[00:14:25] Jessica: Yes.
[00:14:26] Briana: Also just more excited about it and really being willing to say, okay, Lord, use me, use me how you see fit.
[00:14:33] Jessica: Yeah.
I love that you talked about the emotions because I think so much that faith isn't the absence of emotion. It's not just not having any and just fully trusting like a robot. Right. Like, yes, Lord, I will do.
Yes, we should obey him, but we also can have those emotions and come to him and tell him about our worries and our questions. And so in, in your worries and questions, what, what did God teach you in that? Instead of trying to carry all of
[00:15:03] Briana: this yourself, what it really came down to is taking it one step at a time.
Not getting so far ahead of myself that I wasn't focused on the moment.
[00:15:18] Jessica: Yeah.
[00:15:19] Briana: And that is still something that I'm working on because I am the kind of person who could get so far ahead of myself. I'm like, okay, what do I have on the to do list tomorrow or next week or, you know, oh, I'm planning a party for later this year and it's several months from now, but I'm going to just start planning it now. Like, I'm that kind of person.
And God really had to be like, listen, Brianna, you need to just be in the moment and focus on what is in front of you at this point and let the rest of it happen as it unfolds rather than trying to sort of skip ahead and again, still a work in progress on that one. But I'm a lot.
[00:16:07] Jessica: Yeah, well. And I think that recognition of I'm not perfect at this, but you are a perfect. God help me, is a huge thing. And it reminds me. What you're talking about is, reminds me of in Proverbs 3, it says, Lean not on your own understanding, trust the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, trust him with all of our heart, not half of it, not some of it.
And don't rely on what we know here in this earthly world. Because what he's doing in the, in the, the ways that he is prepared are so much better than we could ever think or imagine.
And that just blows my mind there. I'm like, why do I put such a small viewpoint of the Lord in mine, in my life when he's asked me to surrender, thinking that he's just going to give me something smaller or worse like that. That's not the God we serve. Right. Like we, I feel like we don't give him credit for how, how big he is. And we, we try to, to, to bring him down.
And yeah, that's something, that's, that's a whole nother episode.
[00:17:16] Briana: God's ways truly are bigger than our ways. And you're right trying to wrap your mind around that sometimes because we just, we can't. I mean, God is just so much bigger than anything we can imagine. And even that I think can be difficult to accept and be like, you know what? I, until I am with him in his glory, I am not going to fully understand him while I'm still on this earth.
[00:17:39] Jessica: Right.
[00:17:40] Briana: And you just have to accept that. And that is hard sometimes to accept.
[00:17:44] Jessica: Yes. Yeah, it definitely is. So in your daily living, as you said that you're learning the surrender moment by moment. So what is that? What is choosing surrender actually look like in your day to day?
[00:17:59] Briana: So for me it is about including the Lord in all of my decision making. And that's across the board. So it's not like just in my professional life or just in my personal life. Right. Not just in the office or just at home. It is in every aspect.
So my number one prayer to the Lord on a daily basis is please don't let me be selfish. I don't want to make my decisions based off of my personal earthly human desires. I still have my personal, earthly, human desires. But I don't want those to be the driving factor behind my decisions. I really want it to be. Lord, does this align with your will? Is this building your kingdom? Is this pointing people towards your glory?
And that is from the moment I wake up, all the way until I go to bed. So I start every morning with devotions and prayer. I end every evening with a gratitude prayer. And then in between, I'm constantly going, all right, Lord, is this. Is this the right choice for me? Even doing a podcast interview? I'm like, lord, I'm not doing this without your permission.
And. And there are, you know, podcast interviews that I have declined because God was like, yeah, this isn't right. Or, you know, there were, you know, just sort of personal decisions, like, hey, maybe you. You shouldn't go to that restaurant, or maybe you should, you know, buy that product.
And what's really interesting is, in the moment, you don't always really know why. Like, why is God telling me not to do this thing? Or even on the flip side, right? Why is God telling me to do this thing? Where's this road?
But you. You have to trust and obey and just fully surrender. And so for me, it's, you know, I may not necessarily be like, all right, Lord, do I have this breakfast cereal or this one for breakfast? Right. Like, not necessarily that granular, but definitely, yes, of.
Okay, you know, if I'm. I'm sitting down at the computer to work, what is it the Lord wants me to work on today? What is it that the Lord wants me to say?
Yeah, that's. That's really how I'm trying to approach it. And it. And it is something that you have to be intentional about every day, right into that process.
[00:20:22] Jessica: Yes. Yeah. Because relationships aren't grown with zero communication.
You have to communicate. And so if we want to get closer to the Lord, if we want to know what he's doing and understand his will for us, we have to continually communicate. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. And that's not literally talking all day long, but it's exactly what you were saying is, hey, Lord, am I supposed to go to this party if I'm sitting down for work? What is it that you want me to focus on today? Do I need to go talk to that person? Do I need to be on this podcast? Like, that is the relationship, the communication that he is asking for us, just like you would your best friend. I mean, you talk to them all the time, and you know their voice, and you'll be like, hey, girl, should I wear these pants today? Maybe not, right? Like, you talk to them about all the things. Even, even before this, I am having issues with my allergies. And I asked the Lord, lord, would you just stop my allergies for the 30 minutes while we record this? And that seems so silly, but he cares about those things. And when your relationship with him, it just comes out, it just, you just ask him for all the things, and you talk to him and you tell him all the things. And so I, I, I love, I love what you said there, because I feel like we just really need to remember that walking day in and day out to, to lean on him. And he, he's what leads us forward. He's what, what gives us the next step. And so if we aren't leaning on him, we're, we're definitely going to fall over.
And, you know, sometimes he just tells us to wait. Nope, he can't do that right now. And you're like, oh, but I would like to know why. I would like to know what I need to do next. He's like, nope, just wait. Just wait. Like, okay, well, I'm just gonna sit here like a stump on a log.
[00:22:10] Briana: Yes. Yes. And it's so funny.
Within the past couple weeks, I actually had God reveal why he wanted me to wait on one particular decision.
So, yeah, it's so timely, but it's, I think, just a very tangible example to share with our friends.
So my denomination seminary has a certificate in theopoetics and theological imagination.
I've been wanting to do this certificate for the past few years. Like, it's so exciting. I love it.
[00:22:41] Jessica: Can you explain that? Because I had to look it up, because I know what each of the work pieces of that word mean, but I had never heard that before.
[00:22:50] Briana: Yes. So it's, it's really about how do we look at theology and creativity?
And there's so many different aspects of it. You can look at different artistic media. And how are we incorporating theology and scripture into that? Yeah, Think like, you know, paintings. Right. Visual arts, all the way down to poetry and fiction.
But even if you're, you know, your pastor on a Sunday morning, the way that they're preaching is in form of personal expression. It's a form of art. And so you can bring in theopoetics to the pulpit as well, which I think is really neat. And it's not just a very dry reading the sermon. Like, no, no, no, no. There's much more heart behind it. Yes, yes.
And so as A creative. Like, I've been so interested in this and, like, how can I, you know, see theology and. And scripture from different angles and through different media and just, like, stretch my theological perspective and deepen my relationship with Jesus? Like, that's ultimately the goal.
[00:23:57] Jessica: Yeah.
[00:23:58] Briana: Every time I kept praying, I was like, lord, I really, really want to do this. I know that this would align with, like, business goals or personal goals. Like, it checks all the boxes. And every time God was like, not right now. Not right now. And I kept getting frustrated. I was like, lord, why? I. I tried so hard not to be selfish, but I really want to do this.
And then earlier this year, God was like, okay, now. Now's the time. Go ahead and apply. And I did, and I was accepted, which was great.
[00:24:27] Jessica: That's amazing.
[00:24:29] Briana: But what's funny is I was just at my church's annual conference. At the conference, the president of our seminary announced that students are all receiving full tuition scholarships starting this fall.
[00:24:42] Jessica: No way.
[00:24:43] Briana: And I had this moment. I'm sitting in this conference room going, oh, my goodness.
That's why. Because I was patient, because I waited and I trusted in the Lord. And I didn't just go, I'm going to apply anyway. Like, three years ago, right?
[00:24:58] Jessica: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:24:59] Briana: Now I can see why God wanted me to wait.
[00:25:02] Jessica: And it's.
[00:25:03] Briana: I never anticipated anything like that.
Never.
So I have this very, like, tangible example now of like, no, no, no. When you surrender and you wait and you are patient and you trust in the Lord, and you say, all right, God told me not to, so I'm not going to. Or, God told me to wait. Or, you know, this is the time to do it. This is the time to act.
There is a reason, and it is for your good.
[00:25:27] Jessica: Yeah. Because following Jesus doesn't make things easier. But when we trust him, it just draws us closer to him in our relationship because we can see if we're. If we follow through, we can see where he was leading us to. And I. That. I love that you. That he gave you such a tangible thing that you can look back and go, okay, next time he asks me to surrender something, I'm going to be obedient better than I was the last time, because I can see his faithfulness. And I think it's so important for us to. I'm a huge proponent of writing things down because the pen to paper, brain communication is so. You can't. You can't replace it. It's just much different than typing on a. On a computer. But to remember his faithfulness in all things, to be able to go back and go, oh, that's right, he did that. Because you're. Like you said earlier, we don't always get to see why he's telling us to do these things, but he is. He's planting these seeds, he's doing these things. And sometimes we may never know why he's asked us to do something or why he's asked us to surrender or whatever it is. But it doesn't matter because we have to be obedient and faithful to what he has asked us to do. And so when that surrender does feel difficult, what truths about God's character help you to keep trusting Him?
[00:26:48] Briana: For me, it's about knowing two things. One, that it's not about me.
Right. Ultimately, it is not about me.
Yes, I have value. I have worth. I am a beloved daughter of God.
[00:27:01] Jessica: I.
[00:27:01] Briana: But at the same time, you know, there's 8 billion people on our planet. Right. How many have come before us?
You know, our. Our Christian family is. Is enormous. And God's even bigger than that. So I have to remember that I am just a small piece of this puzzle. It's really not about me. Yeah. But the second part of that is to remember that even though it's not about me, God still loves me and wants what is best for me.
And I may not always know what is best for me.
[00:27:35] Jessica: Right.
[00:27:35] Briana: Like any parent and a child you've ever been around. A toddler, we know, but sometimes they get into things that they shouldn't. Yes, we do that even as adults. You know, God is just like, okay, children, now we need a lesson. And we don't always like it. It's uncomfortable. But yeah, ultimately he knows best.
And it's sometimes a difficult pill to swallow. But yeah, that is what really helps me sort of frame it is just that reminder that it's not about me, but God still loves me.
[00:28:08] Jessica: Yeah. Yeah. So if someone's listening today and they're struggling with letting go of control, what would you encourage them to do first?
[00:28:15] Briana: My go to is always prayer. Always prayer. Be honest in your prayer.
And your prayer does not have to be words.
It can be the cries of your heart. It can be literal tears. God is still, through the Holy Spirit, going to know exactly what it is that you are trying to communicate. But be honest in your communication to the Lord, because there is nothing that you can say. There is nothing you can bring to the Lord that he is going to turn his back on you or that is going to lead to any kind of, you know, Cutting off the relationship. I know that that's a fear that we all have at some point in our lives, but he wants our honesty because he wants the messy, gross parts of our lives and our sayings. I mean, he literally, Jesus literally died for your sins. Like, he is totally okay with you bringing your sin to him. He wants you to do that.
So prayer is always my number one. Go to. I love that.
[00:29:14] Jessica: I love that. Brianna, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your heart with us. This has just been so wonderful. And I love that you reminded us that that surrender isn't about having all the answers. It's about trusting the one that does. And I know this conversation is going to encourage so many of our friends listening. Before we wrap up, I want to ask you the question that I ask every guest on the podcast, and that is, what is one perspective that you would encourage listeners to apply today?
[00:29:41] Briana: One perspective that I would encourage listeners to apply is patience.
We all are going to be in seasons of waiting in our lives, and it's hard to surrender in the waiting. I know, I've been there.
But we have to have that patience to know that if it's a negative season, it's not going to end forever.
But also if it's a positive season, you want that patience to be in the moment and to really live in that moment. That sort of stop and smell the roses idea.
[00:30:19] Jessica: Yes, yes, yes. That's beautiful. I love that you said stop and smell the roses because I am a huge proponent of literally stopping and smelling the roses. Pulling over. If you see something interesting, see God's creation the way that he wants us to see it and not just pass it by because we're going on to the next thing. So I love that. I love that so much. Friends, I hope that this conversation encouraged you to trust God's timing a little more and reminded you that surrender isn't a one time decision. It's a daily invitation to closely walk with Jesus. And if this episode spoke to your heart, would you do me a favor? Share it with a friend who could use a little bit of encouragement today? And if God has been writing a story in your life that would encourage someone else, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out to
[email protected] so we can have a conversation.
Remember, even small shifts in perspective lead to big changes. Now go put those perspectives into practice. Talk to you next time.
