Let It Go

"Let It Go" - One day while I was explaining to a friend (okay venting) about a particular life situation that had really messed with my mind, (not  just every day drama but something that shook  me to the core) he looked at me and said "let...it...go."  At the time I was little frustrated, because I didn't want to let it go. I wanted to hang on to it, to vent, to feel sorry for myself, to make people understand the wrong that had been done to me and the hurt I felt. But again, he looked at me and said "let...it...go."

I heard him, and thought, "yeah, easier said than done!" However - he was right.

We cannot control what other people think, say or do, the only thing we can control is our reaction. When we choose to hold on to the things we cannot control, they begin to control us. Anger, bitterness, confusion, and hurt can keep us from moving forward and seeing clearly what is actually before us.

Let....it....go!

Things I've realized lately that I need to let go:
Expectations of what life should look like - LET IT GO
Disappointment and hurt from friends/family - LET IT GO
Personal failures/goals unmet - LET IT GO
Sins committed/embarrassing or bad choices  - LET IT GO

I am not perfect - life is not perfect. We all make mistakes, we all make choices against our better judgement, we embarrass ourselves and others, we let people down, and we are let down. It's part of life. It's easy, even comfortable sometimes, to hold on to these things, to live in the guilt, to hold on to hurt, to not forgive (yourself or others). However the tighter your grip and the longer you hold on, the harder it will be to understand true freedom and forgiveness. God's grace truly is amazing and He has chosen through His son to forgive us our sins - If a Holy God can look past our iniquities, shouldn't we also be able to forgive the sins of others and ourselves?

For some reason this phrase reminds me of balloons. I have some special kids in my life who, occasionally when we'd go somewhere, they'd get balloons. However when it was time to get in the car, or go home they had to "let them go." Of course they would be sad, what kid wants to let a balloon go? However, we would say "send the balloon to Jesus." This made it easier for them to "let it go." They would watch as the balloon traveled high in to the sky until it was out of sight, "with Jesus" and they could get in the car and move on.  Like these balloons, we need to "send our issues to Jesus." - Let them go, until they are out of our sight so we can "get in the car" and move on.

We can choose to hold on tight, to live in anger, fear, guilt and/or shame OR we can "let it go" and walk forward in grace, forgiveness and joy.  Things may not be as we wished they were, we WILL experience hurt and we WILL cause hurt -  do not let circumstances, hurt, disappointment or choices of your past dictate the steps you take towards your future.

Let...it...go!