Tag: surrender

This is How it is
The Little Pencil in God’s Hand

Inspired by the words of Saint Mother Teresa

There are times when people tell me how much they enjoy one of my articles, videos, or blogs. They say the words encouraged them, strengthened their faith, or simply made them smile. Those comments are always appreciated, but they also remind me of a beautiful truth that keeps my feet firmly on the ground.

In one of my books containing daily devotional readings drawn from the writings of Mother Teresa, I came across a quotation that perfectly expresses how I feel whenever I sit down to write.

“I don’t claim anything of the work. It is His work. I’m like a little pencil in His Hand. That’s all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used.”
— Saint Mother Teresa

Those simple words contain a profound lesson for every Christian.

God Is the Author

When we surrender ourselves to God, He can accomplish far more through us than we could ever accomplish by ourselves.

The temptation is always to think that success comes from our own intelligence, education, talent, or experience. While God certainly gives us those gifts, they become truly fruitful only when they are placed back into His hands.

Just as a pencil cannot write a single word by itself, neither can we bear lasting spiritual fruit apart from God.

Jesus reminded us:

“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

That verse has become increasingly meaningful to me over the years.

Every Article Begins with Prayer

Before I begin writing, I try to remember that these words are not ultimately for me.

Whether I am writing:
- a spiritual reflection,
- a World of Dogs story,
- The Good News Newsletter,
- or simply sharing the highlights of the week,
my prayer is always the same:

“Lord, if this can help even one person come a little closer to You, then use me.”

That changes everything.

Instead of worrying about finding the perfect words, I simply try to remain open to wherever God wishes to lead.

The Holy Spirit Is the Best Editor

Many people have asked how so many articles, videos, and stories seem to come together.

The answer is really very simple.

The Holy Spirit has an unlimited vocabulary.

He knows exactly what someone needs to hear today.

He knows which Bible verse will touch a hurting heart.

He knows which story will encourage someone who feels like giving up.

When we allow Him to guide our thoughts, remarkable things begin to happen—not because of us, but because of Him.

A Pencil Is Useless Until Someone Picks It Up

A pencil has no power of its own.

It doesn’t decide what to write.

It doesn’t choose the message.

It simply allows itself to be used.

That is a wonderful picture of the Christian life.

God is not looking for the most talented people.

He is looking for willing hearts.

He can take ordinary people and do extraordinary things through them.

History is filled with saints who were not famous because of their own abilities but because they allowed God to work through them.

We Can All Be God’s Pencil

You don’t have to write articles or produce videos to become God’s pencil.

You may be:
- encouraging a lonely neighbor,
- praying for someone in need,
- preparing a meal with love,
- smiling at a stranger,
- volunteering at church,
- or quietly living your faith every day.
Each small act becomes part of God’s beautiful story.

Sometimes the smallest pencil writes the most important message.

A Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for allowing ordinary people to participate in Your extraordinary work.

Keep me humble.

Never let me seek recognition for what belongs to You.

Make me, like Saint Mother Teresa, only a little pencil in Your hands.

Think through me.

Write through me.

Love through me.

And may everything I do bring glory to You alone.

Amen.

Final Thought

If anything I write encourages someone, strengthens a family, inspires a reader, or brings one soul a little closer to Christ, then all praise belongs to God.

I am simply grateful that, despite all my imperfections, He is still willing to pick up this little pencil and write.

As Saint Mother Teresa so beautifully said:

“He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used.”

May each of us become that little pencil in the loving hands of God.

I Thak you for reading this. Please share with others.

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com

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July 15, 2026
Go Make a Difference in the World
Let the Light of God Shine Through You

In a world filled with noise, confusion, and struggle, there is still one force powerful enough to change hearts, restore hope, and transform lives — the love of God working through His people.

God did not create us to simply exist. He created us to shine. Every smile, every encouraging word, every act of kindness, and every prayer can become a reflection of His presence in the world.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we begin to see others differently. We become more patient, more compassionate, more forgiving, and more willing to serve. The Holy Spirit guides us to become light in dark places, life where there is discouragement, and love where there is pain.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” — Matthew 5:14

God Dwells Within Us

One of the greatest truths in the Christian faith is that God desires to dwell within us. Through faith, prayer, and surrender, our hearts become a place where His Spirit lives and moves.

Sometimes people search everywhere for peace, purpose, and joy, not realizing that God is already calling them from within. When we open our hearts to Him, He renews our minds, strengthens our spirits, and teaches us how to love others more deeply.

Our souls become a living testimony of God’s grace.

We are not meant to walk alone. God’s Spirit gives us courage when we are afraid, wisdom when we are uncertain, and hope when life feels difficult.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” — 1 Corinthians 6:19

Respond to God’s Creative Work in Your Life

God is continually working within each of us. He plants dreams, purpose, creativity, and compassion into our hearts. The question is not whether God is calling us — the question is whether we are willing to respond.

You do not have to be famous to make a difference.
You do not need wealth or status to change someone’s life.

A simple act of love can become a miracle for someone else.
- Encourage someone who feels discouraged
- Pray for someone in need
- Help a neighbor
- Share God’s love with kindness and humility
- Be a voice of peace in a divided world
These small acts become seeds of hope that God can multiply beyond what we can imagine.

Be Light, Life, and Love

The world needs more than opinions and arguments. It needs people who carry the Spirit of God with gentleness, truth, and compassion.

Today is a new opportunity to make a difference.

Let your life reflect God’s glory.
Let your words bring healing.
Let your actions reveal His love.

And wherever you go, may others see the light of Christ shining through you.

Final Prayer

Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Help us become vessels of Your love, peace, and truth. Give us the grace and faith to believe that You truly dwell within us. May our hearts become a reflection of heaven, and may our lives inspire others to seek You. Teach us to respond to Your creative work within us and to boldly make a difference in the world through Your love. Amen.

Thank you for reading this blog. Please share with others,

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
May 17, 2026
Lead Me in the Way You Desire
Trusting God When We Do Not Understand

There is a prayer so simple, so humble, and so powerful that it can change a life:

“Lord, if this is not Your will, take it from me. Lead me in the way You desire.”

Those words are not words of defeat. They are words of surrender. They are words of trust.

In a world that teaches us to cling, control, and chase our own plans, this prayer invites us to open our hands and let God lead.

When Our Plans Are Not God’s Plans

We often pray for what we want:
- A door to open
- A relationship to work
- A dream to come true
- A burden to be lifted
Yet sometimes God whispers, “I have something better.”

Scripture reminds us:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…
— Book of Jeremiah 29:11

And in Book of Proverbs we are told:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Faith is not always knowing where the road leads.

Faith is trusting the One who leads.

The Courage of “Take It From Me”

Sometimes we hold onto things God wants us to release:
- Worry
- Pride
- Old wounds
- Fear
- Even dreams that are not His will
To pray “take it from me” is brave.

It echoes the prayer of Jesus of Nazareth in Gethsemane:

“Not my will, but Yours be done.”

That is not weakness.

That is holiness.

God Leads Through Closed Doors Too

Some of God’s greatest mercies come disguised as unanswered prayers.

A closed door may be protection.

A delay may be preparation.

A “no” may be guidance.

Many times we understand only later that what we asked God to remove… He removed out of love.

And what He asked us to surrender… He replaced with grace.

Following the Way He Desires

When we ask God to lead us, He often guides in gentle ways:
- Through prayer
- Through Scripture
- Through silence
- Through wise friends
- Through unexpected opportunities
- Through peace in the heart
Often His leading is not dramatic.

It is daily.

One faithful step at a time.

As Book of Psalms says:

“Your word is a lamp unto my feet…”

Notice—a lamp, not a floodlight.

Enough light for the next step.

That is usually how God leads.

A Prayer for Today

You may want to pray this slowly:

Lord,
If this is not Your will, take it from me.
Remove what keeps me from You.
Close doors I should not walk through.
Open the ones You desire.
Lead me in Your way,
Shape me by Your wisdom,
And help me trust even when I do not understand.
Not my will, Lord—
Yours be done.
Amen.

Final Thought

Surrender is not losing your way.

It is finding God’s way.

And there is no safer place than being led by Him.

When life feels uncertain, pray simply:

“Lord, if this is not Your will, take it from me. Lead me in the way You desire.”

That prayer can change everything.

Thank you for reading this blog. Please share it with others.

Rick Herring
April 27, 2026
Are You Exhausted? Perhaps You Are Resisting God
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28

Have you ever felt completely worn out—not just physically, but deep in your soul? You may sleep, take a break, or even escape for a few hours, yet the weariness remains.

Sometimes our deepest exhaustion does not come from how much we are doing. It comes from how hard we are trying to control what was never ours to carry.

There is a quiet but painful truth many of us resist:

Resisting God is exhausting.

The Weight of Refusing to Surrender

We often believe that if we can just try harder, think smarter, plan better, or worry more, we can fix our lives. We cling tightly to our plans, our fears, our schedules, our dreams, and even our disappointments.

We say things like:
- “I have to make this work.”
- “I cannot let go.”
- “What if everything falls apart?”
- “I need to know what will happen next.”
But the harder we grip, the more tired we become.

When we refuse to surrender to God, we live as though everything depends on us. We carry burdens that were never meant for our shoulders. We fight battles in our own strength. We attempt to force open doors God may have closed, or we stand trembling before doors He has not yet opened.

No wonder we are exhausted.

The soul was not created to live apart from trust in God.

What Does It Mean to Surrender to God?

To completely surrender to God is to place our entire being—our hopes, fears, plans, relationships, and future—into His hands.

Surrender is not giving up. It is giving over.

It is not weakness. It is trust.

It is not a one-time act, but a daily decision to yield our control, and even our desires, to the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.

At the heart of surrender is this truth:

“I trust that God’s plans for my life are good, even when I do not understand my current circumstances.”

That sentence captures the heart of surrender.

To surrender is to say:
- “Lord, I do not understand this, but I trust You.”
- “I cannot carry this any longer, so I place it in Your hands.”
- “Your will is wiser than mine.”
- “Your timing is better than my own.”
This kind of trust is not natural for most of us. We want answers. We want certainty. We want control.

But God asks for something deeper than control. He asks for faith.

Why Surrender Brings Peace

The moment we stop fighting God and begin trusting Him, something changes inside us.

Our circumstances may not change immediately. The problem may still be there. The diagnosis may remain. The relationship may still be broken. The future may still seem uncertain.

But our hearts become lighter.

Why?

Because peace does not come from knowing everything.

Peace comes from knowing God.

When we surrender, we stop demanding that God explain Himself before we trust Him. Instead, we remember who He is:
- He is good.
- He is faithful.
- He is loving.
- He is present.
- He is working, even when we cannot see it.
Scripture reminds us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” — Proverbs 3:5

God never asked us to understand everything. He asked us to trust Him.

The Daily Practice of Surrender

Surrender is rarely dramatic. Usually, it happens quietly, one day at a time.

Sometimes surrender means:
- Releasing a fear you have carried for years.
- Letting go of resentment.
- Trusting God with your children or grandchildren.
- Accepting that you cannot change another person.
- Waiting patiently when God seems silent.
- Saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Every morning we have a choice:

Will we cling tightly to our own way and become more exhausted?

Or will we open our hands and trust God with what we cannot control?

The more we surrender, the more we discover that God is trustworthy.

And the more we trust Him, the less exhausted we become.

A Prayer of Surrender

Lord,

I am tired.

I have been carrying burdens You never asked me to carry. I have tried to control what only You can hold.

Today I surrender my fears, my plans, my worries, my future, and my need to understand everything.

Teach me to trust You.

Help me believe that Your plans for my life are good, even when I cannot see where You are leading me.

Give me the courage to open my hands and rest in Your love.

Amen.

Final Thought

If you are exhausted today, perhaps the answer is not to strive harder.

Perhaps the answer is to surrender.

The God who created you never intended for you to carry life alone. He invites you to lay down your burdens, trust His heart, and find the rest your soul has been longing for.

Because resisting God is exhausting.

But surrendering to Him brings peace.

Thank you for reading this article. Please share with others.

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
April 19, 2026
We all Live in the Disgration of God

In the Discretion of God

Last night, I was speaking with my sister about a priest who had planned to retire at the age of seventy-five. He had given years of faithful service and, by all expectations, was ready to step away from ministry. Yet, because he served at the discretion of his bishop, his plans changed. Instead of retiring, he was assigned to pastor a startup church—beginning again when he thought he was finished.

That conversation stayed with me.

This morning, I woke up with a deeper realization: we all serve at the discretion of God. Not at our own timing, not according to our own carefully arranged plans, but according to His will. And if we are honest, that truth is both humbling and unsettling.

Scripture reminds us of this reality in powerful ways. When Judas left the Last Supper, it is written that the devil had already entered him as he went out to betray the Lord. Even in that moment—dark, painful, and seemingly out of control—God’s greater purpose was unfolding. Nothing was outside His authority.

This truth became even more personal this week.

My sister had planned to retire after thirty-six years of banking. It was meant to be a joyful milestone. After decades of working alongside the same people, there were surely plans for celebration, reflection, and closure. But life had other plans.

Her husband suffered a heart attack.

Instead of enjoying her final days at work, she spent her next-to-last day driving to Oklahoma City and sitting in a hospital room through the night. He received a stent, and by April 2nd, they returned home to Atoka, Oklahoma. What was supposed to be a week of celebration became a week of crisis, care, and uncertainty.

And yet, in that disruption, there was a greater truth revealed: no matter how much we plan, God is in charge.

We map out our lives with timelines and expectations. We anticipate milestones and transitions. But in a moment, everything can shift. Not because God has lost control—but because He never relinquished it in the first place.

Even Jesus Christ Himself lived in complete submission to the Father’s will. He did not act independently of God’s purpose. He walked a path that led through suffering—His Passion, His crucifixion, and ultimately His resurrection. From a human perspective, it may have looked like tragedy or defeat. But in God’s plan, it was redemption.

If Jesus, the Son, lived and served according to the Father’s will, how much more must we?

We may not always understand why our plans are interrupted. We may not see the purpose behind sudden changes or painful circumstances. But we can trust that nothing is wasted in God’s hands.

The priest who thought he was retiring found himself beginning anew. My sister who expected celebration found herself in a hospital. And in both stories, there is a common thread: God’s authority overrides our expectations.

We do not serve at our own discretion.

We serve at His.

And in that truth, there is both surrender—and peace.

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com

April 3, 2026