Submitting to the Holy Spirit: Peri Sonnier
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Whoever loves me will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine
but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all that I told you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe.” (John 14:23-29)
The relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son is an important one to know. We should “rejoice that [Jesus is] going to the Father" because the Father has sent the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name. Still today, the Holy Spirit is here advocating for us. Sometimes, there are things that I want that I am too ashamed to admit to myself. Over my final summer before starting college, I found myself desiring to be a part of a large conventional family. This desire confused me. The confusion was perhaps due to the fact that I have an absolutely amazing mother. Why did I yearn for something more in the back of my heart? Now, looking back at this, I see that I was longing for the large joined love that comes with a conventional family. I did not pray about this desire, for I was ashamed of it. Despite this, God still quenched my thirst. He led me to my spiritual family, where I found a great sense of home life and shared love. Sometimes, I sit out on the ACF back porch. It's so homey out there. It feels like I’m a child looking out at the yard while my family is back in the house. As I sit out there, joy fills my heart. I see the beautiful way in which the Holy Spirit has advocated for me.
Recently I was told that the Holy Spirit ushers us into the relationship between God and Jesus. I have found this to be true. Some months ago, I began to find myself struck by strong and sudden tears over and over again. They were the kind of tears that felt like an invitation to sit down and talk to God for a while. I must admit, at first I did not give in to these tears. I wanted to be in control and choose when to be interrupted by God, but that's just not how interruption works.
The Holy Spirit is here to teach us. We must be sensitive to it and submit to it. The Holy Spirit was teaching me how to mourn. When I relinquished myself to this lesson, I found much growth and jubilation. I was greeted with brothers and sisters who desired to comfort me and bear my burdens. A fire was set within me. God was not just simply giving me the tools to cope. He was not just simply comforting me. If anything, there were moments, especially in the beginning, where I felt extremely uncomfortable. God was burning my lesions away and restoring me. He showed me how to receive life and to desire good things for myself.
Lately, I have felt the Holy Spirit ushering me into a new season again. I was nervous about this at first, but now I am quite excited. To walk in this new season, all I have to do is submit. So often, I find myself trying to strategize ways to grow and change. Yet, analyzing my every move is really not the way to go. I see now that it's time for me to relinquish that control. If I want to grow as a person, I need to be obedient to our Father, for he has given us an amazing gift through the Holy Spirit. To receive this gift, we must submit and allow ourselves to be taught by the Holy Spirit. It is a very good thing to submit, for God yearns to give us things that are far better than what we can imagine.
Amen.
Peri is a sophomore at Louisiana Tech majoring in math. With her joyful nature, servant’s heart, and commitment to her faith, she has been a bright light ever since she first walked through our doors last school year. Peri enjoys running, studio art, kayaking, exploring nature, spending time with friends, and putting on puppet shows together with her mom. It is a true blessing to be around her, and we’re so grateful that she has made ACF her home!