one thing remains

This morning, as I prepared for the day, I looked at a holy card in the corner of my mirror. The image? Dali's painting of Christ hanging on the cross, with that dramatic perspective from above Christ's head. My prayer? That every last thing I claim and cling to and call my own would be surrendered, relinquished... that my heart would cling to nothing but Him, and through Him, the sovereign and perfect will of the Father. Christ, having taken on our fallen human nature, had to give up everything in order to return to the Father, in order to make it possible for us to follow Him to the Father. He had to say, "I cling to nothing, not even my own life. I willingly give my whole life. Not my will, but yours be done." We wrestle in our human nature with this chalice which we would like to pass too. We wrestle as he did in the garden. But he overcame. In Him, we are able to overcome. And through His clinging to nothing, the Father highly exalted Him. In Him, when we relinquish it all... we will follow Him in into glory. What we have willingly given we will receive back, perfected, glorified, risen. Our life laid down is resurrected into glory.
May He be all that remains in our hearts, even here and now refining these hearts in His purifying flame of love.