^7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise.

Ever felt like you finally arrived at the top of the mountain you were facing?  Finally achieved a goal you had been striving towards?  Won a race?  Received an award?  I am feeling all of those things right now in this moment.  God says in Psalm 23 that He will fill our cups to overflow status!  He says He will turn all of our sorrow to joy!  He says He will turn ALL things to good!!!  I can tell you this is truth!!

God has done a number of things in my recent past.  Pulled me from a destructive marriage.  Kept me safe in several circumstances.  Restored my faith.  Given me new hope.  Promoted me higher than I could ever imagine.  What does this feel like?  Uncontainable, indescribable, incredible JOY!!!!!!

How did I get to the mountain top?  Surrender.  Surrender.  Surrender. and MORE Surrender.  Today alone this is what happened in my tiny little speck of a life:  I submitted book two to be published, figured out how to start my first book on Kindle, received TWO checks at work, and I obeyed God and started a dance group at church and people actually showed up.  Eight other people to be exact.

Yup!  All that in one day.  I feel the most significant event was the dance group.  When I saw the vision to start this dance team, I of course argued with God.  Why are you picking me? I am the least coordinated person on earth?  Lord, you know I cannot rub my tummy and pat my head at the same time!  Want to know what His answer was:  I always choose the least to accomplish the most in my Kingdom.

This group of women to me are the firestarters who will enable the body of Christ to walk on water.  He chose a leader, a worshiper, got someone out of their box, a Zumba instructor, a cheerleader, a gymnast and a past color guard person to become The Revival Warriors.  Our first practice was awesome and I really look forward to praising God in the most intimate way with this group of women!

So what is the moral of the story?  Mountain top stories are based on surrender and obedience.  Would I have found such joy today if I hadn’t stepped out in faith and called these women to bind together in unity to lead the church to victory?  Probably not.  I encourage anyone reading this to choose surrender and obedience in whatever situation you are currently in.  God cannot take you to the top of the mountain if you do not choose to surrender….He would never drag anyone up the mountain.