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I had planned to post a short story called "The Pumpkin Carver" this month, but computer complications and time constraints did not work to my advantage so I had to "let it go." My twin baby granddaughters arrived earlier this month and needed to stay in the NICU, so my daughter had to temporarily "let go" of the picture she had for their arrival. "You just have to let it go" is common advice given to people wrestling with events or issues in their lives that they can't control. In Disney's immensely popular movie Frozen, the refrain from its most popular song repeats "Let it go, let it go". Even alcoholics anonymous tells its members to "Let Go And Let God.
This all reminds me once again of Henry Nouwen's call to pray with open hands, letting go of what we are holding onto while opening our hands to receive what God has for us.
What is it that you need to let go of today? Usually, for me, it is something I am seeking to control, but the older I get, the more I am learning to let go and trust God to be in control.
Once the trees let go of their leaves, we can see so much more. I can take a walk at the nearby reservoir and get a whole new view. Who knew there was a beautiful home with a lovely wrap around deck behind all those trees? And a walk by the cove reveals a beaver dam and even teeth marks from where the beavers cut down their trees. From another vantage point, a beautiful, unobstructed view of the water reflecting the sunset can be seen. Letting go can give a whole new perspective.
Let, allow. It, whatever is holding you back from the fullness of the life God wants for you. Go, "to the foot of the cross, to the feet of Jesus" as the lyrics of "Who You Are" by Unspoken encourage us.
Letting go and giving up our control does not always come easy. We need to have a strong connection with our Heavenly Father through a personal relationship with Jesus so that we can access the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:6 says, "...the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace". Life and peace--sounds good to me.
To be controlled by the Spirit we need to stay connected to God. John 15:4-5 tells us that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. If a branch is broken off a vine, just like the autumn leaves fall to the ground and turn brown, it withers and dies. On the contrary, if we remain connected, His Spirit can flow through us and bring life. Jesus says, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you...apart from me you can do nothing."
Backing it up just one more step, we need to follow the admonition in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first his kindgdom and his righteousness" and trust God to provide the rest. I encourage you to listen to Lauren Dagel's "First" ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbWQV3OiRqA ) to start your day or to strengthen your connection when you find your branch sagging.
Let It Go + Remain + Seek Him First = the recipe for "life and peace"