Surrendering my life to God has been nothing shy of a crazy adventure. I've always believed there was a God out there and I would follow the 10 commandments to keep my conscious clear. But the biggest challenge in the past year has been learning to trust God. Learning what it means and what it takes to truly surrender my life and trust in God. Being saved doesn't mean that life got easier, in fact, the opposite tends to happen. Giving up control and blindly trusting and following God's plan without any vision of the end result has been the scariest, most challenging thing I have had to do. When faced with a tough decision and told by so many to just trust God, I was challenged by what this really means. What does giving up control and trusting God look like?
I stumbled upon Psalm 25, and his Word, like always, answered the question my heart has been struggling with.

In you, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2 I trust in you;
do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

Trusting God means that no matter what battle you may be in, no matter how many enemies you feel you are facing, that you know that God will not let them win. God was a plan to deliver you from whatever is having a hold from you. Trusting in God means that you believe that anxiety, depression, addiction, gossip, persecution, you name it, God will not let it defeat you.

3 No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.

Trusting in God means that you believe he has a plan for your life. That you trust in his ways. You are not able to see the finish line, or what is to come in the future, but you trust that it is good.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Trusting in God means holding onto to God all day long. Trusting him to be present in every situation, moment, or feeling you may be in. Trusting God is being vulnerable and communicating with him constantly. Praying to him during the good, bad, stressful, and joyous moments of life. Let him into your heart.

6 Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
for you, Lord, are good.

It is human nature to hold onto the past. We are all guilty of being our own worst enemies and shaming ourselves for something we have done in the past. Guilt is okay, but nothing good comes from self shame. The Lord has forgiven and forgotten your sins and past ways. If he can let go of past, so can you.

8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

Trusting God means that you trust that no matter what season of life you are in, that it is God's plan. Not only is it His plan, but His plan is loving. He is not putting you through a trial to hurt you. Whatever God is having you go through, it's because he loves you. Grow through what you go through.

11 For the sake of your name, Lord,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.
12 Who, then, are those who fear the Lord?
He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.[b]
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
and their descendants will inherit the land.

Trust that God's plan for you will make you prosper. It is his promise to you that you will be successful and flourish in life. You will prosper in accordance to his plan. Success through his eyes may look different than what you envision your successful life looking like. Trusting God means that you trust that his plan will make you thrive more than any plan you could come up with yourself.

14 The Lord confides in those who fear him;
he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only he will release my feet from the snare.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
20 Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord,[c] is in you.
22 Deliver Israel, O God,
from all their troubles!

Learning to trust in God and give up control is not easy, but it is oh so worth it. Take little steps everyday to welcome in the Lord's plan. Giving up control is welcoming in eternal peace and happiness.