March 19th, 2026
Thursday, March 19th
Stop the Haggle, Start the Surrender
By: Sheila Sonon
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
When I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28, I’m reminded that His invitation is beautifully simple: Come to Me. Not when life is falling apart. Not when I’ve run out of options and finally admit, “Okay God… maybe I do need help.”
For a long time, I treated God more like a negotiator than a Father. I’d say things like, “God, if You help me now, I promise I’ll do better next time,” or “Lord, if You get me through this situation, I’ll be in church Sunday.” I was trying to bargain my way into blessings like I was haggling at a yard sale.. Spoiler alert: God doesn’t do negotiations like that.
Eventually, I hit my own version of rock bottom. And in that place, something in me shifted. I stopped negotiating and surrendered. I gathered up everything—my worries, burdens, anxieties, fears, concerns. But I also collected my gratitude, love, appreciation.. I packed up everything and symbolically handed the whole bag to God.
Honestly, sometimes I try to sneak my hand back in that bag. I’ll pull out a worry or two like, “Actually Lord, I think I’ll hold onto this one for a bit.” It turns into this weird little spiritual ping-pong match. But every time, God wins. Not by force, but by faithfulness.
I’ve learned that leaning on God isn’t a last-resort emergency button—it’s meant to be a daily action. The more I come to Him, not just in the crisis but in the quiet moments too, the more I experience the rest He promised. And honestly… that rest is way better than trying to carry everything myself.
Stop the Haggle, Start the Surrender
By: Sheila Sonon
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
When I read Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28, I’m reminded that His invitation is beautifully simple: Come to Me. Not when life is falling apart. Not when I’ve run out of options and finally admit, “Okay God… maybe I do need help.”
For a long time, I treated God more like a negotiator than a Father. I’d say things like, “God, if You help me now, I promise I’ll do better next time,” or “Lord, if You get me through this situation, I’ll be in church Sunday.” I was trying to bargain my way into blessings like I was haggling at a yard sale.. Spoiler alert: God doesn’t do negotiations like that.
Eventually, I hit my own version of rock bottom. And in that place, something in me shifted. I stopped negotiating and surrendered. I gathered up everything—my worries, burdens, anxieties, fears, concerns. But I also collected my gratitude, love, appreciation.. I packed up everything and symbolically handed the whole bag to God.
Honestly, sometimes I try to sneak my hand back in that bag. I’ll pull out a worry or two like, “Actually Lord, I think I’ll hold onto this one for a bit.” It turns into this weird little spiritual ping-pong match. But every time, God wins. Not by force, but by faithfulness.
I’ve learned that leaning on God isn’t a last-resort emergency button—it’s meant to be a daily action. The more I come to Him, not just in the crisis but in the quiet moments too, the more I experience the rest He promised. And honestly… that rest is way better than trying to carry everything myself.
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