One of the words that have been brought up constantly this year for me is the word SURRENDER.


This past year has been a year of craziness with continued change and hardships for many around me. I don’t know about you, but not having much control in my environment can be challenging; almost painful at times. This same idea of surrender has been brought up constantly in my counseling sessions, leaving people hopeless, angry, stressed, fearful and more. There has been a big shift this year in what we know as “normal,” but this shouldn’t take us by surprise because one of the most consistent things we have in life is change. Things are always changing, in relationships, jobs, and the world around us. Regardless of the knowledge that things will change it can still be hard to deal with.


So my question to you is why? Why is it so hard to deal with change when it’s something we have always experienced in life? Shouldn’t we be experts on this by now?


Most of the time change is hard to deal with because of the fear of the unknown and being uncomfortable. Comfort is something we are constantly striving for, the comfort of knowing that we have a plan or that things are going to work out in a way that won’t disrupt our lives. We seek comfort in our homes, our health, and our job security. We seek comfort in knowing we have the finances to continue maintaining our lives, how they are or even better than we have been living. We like knowing that our go to people will always be there for us. We also seek comfort in our freedoms and those not being taken away. The list can go on and on because we seek comfort in everything we do. We even seek comfort in things that aren't the best for us, like unhealthy relationships, drinking, explosive anger, unforgiveness and again the list can go on and on.


The problem with always seeking comfort is that it keeps us from being uncomfortable. The reason it’s a problem is because our growth as humans takes place in the discomfort. But we don’t like the feeling of not being in the position of God, so we are constantly fighting for it, even when it’s not ours to have. We want to know the future in order to hold on to the comfort. We want to control the outcome in order to “will” our expectations into existence.


This is not our job. We are not God. We cannot see what is to come and we cannot always “will” our expectations of life into existence. We don’t like that so we fight with everything in us and when it doesn't work we are left hopeless and angry. This brings me back to the idea of surrender. In reality, we are not the ones that hold the world in our hands. It’s our job to hand control over to God; to stop trying to obtain it and to place control in the hands of our Lord and Savior.


So how do we do this practically in a way that works?


We cry out just like Jesus did before he we taken to the cross:


“And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour might pass from him. And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” (Mark 14:35-36).


Jesus cried out for a different path; one that might not be as painful, but as he was crying out for a different way he still handed the control back to God in saying, “yet not what I will but what you will.” This is painful to hear and see. If Jesus was struggling, then how much more will this be a struggle for us to surrender to God’s will? Could you imagine if Jesus didn’t step into the discomfort? Things would look very different for us. He stepped into the discomfort regardless of what he truly wanted to do because he had faith in God and God’s will for his life here on earth. The growth and reward could have never taken place in a different way.


It was hard, it was painful and it was definitely uncomfortable but it was the only way. God didn’t want to see his Son suffer just like he doesn't want to see us suffer, but sometimes it’s the only way for things to happen that need to take place. Even in the discomfort of it all we have one comfort to hang onto. That comfort is God and his truth and about who we are in him. Abide in him and he will abide in you.

The Last Straw

By Eileen Glotfelty • September 20, 2026
It was November 2001. The world was still reeling from grief with the effects of 911. Even though my world wasn't affected by 911, it was still reeling in grief.  The love of my life was lying in the hospital on a ventilator living out his last days. I didn't know how many were left and I was clinging to the fact that it wasn't too late for a miracle. On that particular day, I had gone to be with him. Every time I went, I would stand by his bedside and read Psalm 91 to him as tears rolled down my face. Psalm 91 talks about God being our refuge and our strength and how He covers us. He likens it to a bird tucking his young under his wing to protect it. It goes on to say how He gives us angels to guard us and toward the end He says, “He will call on Me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” (Psalm 91:4, 15 NIV) I didn't realize how I would soon see those words come to pass. When I left the hospital, I got in our old car that someone had graciously given us. It had seen its better days, but we were thankful. On that night, however, the engine decided not to turn over. It was the last straw and I sat there with grief and despair washing over me. I couldn't even begin to think what to do. It was maybe a few minutes later that I looked up to see a friend from church walking toward my car. She had come to visit my husband and saw me sitting there. She knew her way around cars and she was familiar with mine. Within five minutes she had me open the trunk and pushed a button that I didn't know existed. The car started immediately. Apparently it was a safety feature of some kind that cut off fuel to the engine. To say I was grateful is an understatement. Some would say it was a coincidence, but I say it was my God tucking me under His wing and delivering me in trouble. He led that woman who knew about the button in the trunk to be there at the right time. He saw my pain. He knew I had reached my limit, and He met me in my grief and despair. I hope my story will encourage you if you are facing an impossible situation. God knows. He never takes His eyes off of you. I learned that my last straw is not His. He will tuck you under His wing and bring you through.

Key to the Heart

By Eileen Glotfelty • August 9, 2026
Keys, you never see their significance until you lose one. A few years ago I was downsizing from a large home to a smaller, more manageable one. I lived in that house for 20 years and now that the kids were grown and gone, it was time to let it go. As I was sorting through years worth of “stuff,” I came across an old can full of keys. At one point, each of those keys had a specific purpose. Some unlocked doors, some unlocked cars and some unlocked things that are still a mystery to this day, but each one unlocked something that needed to be protected and kept safe. As I sat there looking at this container of keys, I had to decide whether to keep them in the hope that they would still be needed some day or to accept the fact that since they had been sitting in that can for years, unused, it was ok to throw them out. I chose the latter. All of us are holding onto a key, whether we realize it or not. It’s the key to our heart. That key is a precious gift. It was meant to be opened by one person and when we put it in the wrong hands, we walk away disappointed and broken. I’ve been there. Maybe you have too. I was reading in the book of Mark, Chapter 11, verse 17 (NIV), about Jesus turning over the tables in the marketplace. I used to think that it was because He was so offended that He let His anger take over. That’s true, but what He was actually doing was restoring order. A sacred place that He loved was being turned into “a den of robbers,” as Jesus called it. Something that was precious and sacred was being defiled and He was taking it back and making it right. This story made me see that it’s never too late to take back the key from those who didn’t deserve it and give it to the One who gave it to me. Jesus handed it to me when He died on the cross and He’s given me the choice to return it. Why haven’t I done it before this? Truthfully, it’s because I was afraid. I wanted control and I thought by giving it to Him, He would ask me to do things out of my comfort zone and love people that I didn’t want to love. I gave my key to the people I thought I could control and I would be safe. I’ve lived my life in chaos because of it. So Jesus, I give you the key to my heart. It’s rusty and bent Lord, but I know You can restore it. Forgive me for giving it to those who didn’t deserve it and looking for the love that only You could give me. Open my heart to Your will and put the broken pieces back together. If tables need to be turned over, turn them over. I surrender control to You. Help me to trust You and love You with all my heart.

A Red Sky

By Eileen Glotfelty • July 27, 2026
Having been raised in the “Steel City,” the only red skies I knew growing up were filled with the red dust of the steel mills. The first time I saw a real sunset was as an adult visiting the Jersey Shore. From that day on. I was hooked. Any chance I got to see a sunset, I was there. Recently, I returned from a trip to the Finger Lakes in upstate NY. It was our last day and we had plans to visit one of the lakes so my granddaughters could go swimming. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and left us with a cloudy, windy day. We switched to Plan B which was also nice but we were still a little disappointed. Part of our plan involved some sight seeing and shopping at an Amish Market (and yes, we did buy some Whoopie pies). After that we went back to the farm where we were staying so the girls could visit the barn animals one more time. The day before we were talking to another guest and they raved about the beautiful sunsets they had seen there. I had hoped we would see one that last night, but as I said before, the weather didn't look promising. In order to get to the barn, we had to walk out to a gravel road beyond the trees and down the hill. As we stepped out onto the road, I was happy to see the sun peeking through the clouds. I watched the sun turn that sliver of sky into shades or orange and pink and I was thankful for the view. When we reached the bottom of the hill, my daughter and the girls went to the barn but I stood in the road admiring the sky before me one more time. I walked over to the barn briefly but I'm not a fan of goats and chickens roaming loose, so when they decided to come visit me, I decided it was time for me to leave. I took another route back to our room which involved walking through a grassy field. I was half the way up when something told me to turn around. What I saw made my mouth drop and I did an about face and almost ran back to the road (notice I said. ‘almost’ ran.”) In the short time I had walked through the field, the sky had changed dramatically and had opened up to show the glory of its Creator. There in front of me were brilliant hues of pink, orange, red and purple. They bounced off every cloud and filled the sky. In all my years of sunsets, I had never witnessed one like this. I stood taking pictures until it disappeared. As I walked back to my room, I asked God how that happened. I felt as if He did it for me just to see the delight on my face. The following Sunday, I went to my church and the Pastor used this quote in his sermon. “Red skies at night. A sailor's delight.” He said he had met a naval man traveling on the same airplane. They saw a beautiful sunset to which the man had mentioned the quote. When I came home, the quote and the sunset kept coming back to me so I did a little research. To sum it up, a red sky at night can signify that a storm has passed and is no longer a threat. That spoke to me. My life has been a series of storms. Lately, a big one has been raging at hurricane proportions. I have prayed, I have cried and have been full of fear for the outcome. That sunset gave me peace. God is a merciful God. He reminded me, once again, that He was with me in the storm and even if I'm not seeing the red skies of night, it doesn't change the fact they are coming. Lord, right now the storm is raging. I need You. Help me to keep my eyes on You. You are with me and You always have been. Guard my heart and help me keep my eyes on You. Thank you for the beautiful red sky that gave me hope again.