My new favorite YouTube channel is Married to an Apostle. After you watch this talk below from Sister Kearon from that channel, you just might agree with me. Sister Jennifer Kearon, shown at the pulpit above, is married to Elder Patrick Kearon, on the far right in the in photo above. (Such a cute picture right?!) Elder Kearon is a modern-day apostle of Jesus Christ, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
When Sister Kearon taught of how we are all like the widow of Zaraphath, I was intrigued. I had never made the connection that she mentions. She says we are all like widows in a way. We all need help. We all need to trust Jesus. I had never seen that insight from that story, but I felt the Holy Spirit resonate within me that it’s true.
She goes on to say how important it is to surrender all to Jesus, just as the widow of Zarapath surrendered all she had left to the prophet Elijah when she made him a meal out of all the food she had.
Surrendering is easier said than done, of course. With the grace of Jesus, we can do it. Below are my two favorite renditions of the hymn that Sister Kearon mentions, “I Surrender All.”
If you don’t have time to watch the video/talk right now (please be sure to watch it later), then at least read the most powerful excerpt of the talk below:
“Let me be clear. I don’t mean surrendering to any kind of manipulative or abusive behavior. But perhaps there’s some surrendering with God that we need to do. Surrendering to God is the one surrender where there is no loser. Where both sides win. We lose nothing when we surrender our all to our father and to our savior. When we surrender all, we come out the victor with Jesus Christ. And listen to this because it even has a little bit of the word surrender in it. Heavenly father to render to him or to surrender to him all that you have and are.
“What is God asking you to surrender that you’re not quite ready to give up and place on the altar?
“What do you and I need to surrender? How will you surrender?”