Letting Go

“The only thing harder than holding on is letting go.” I wish I could remember which movie I was watching when I heard that great line. (If any of you know, leave the name in the comments section below, and I’ll be happy to cite the source.)

We try so very hard to make things happen. I’m not talking about having a party or a group project; there are a few people about whom I say, “So-and-so just makes things happen.” One of the reasons they are so successful is that they’re at ease with the process. They have a party but they don’t feel responsible to make everyone have a good time. They put together a team, but they don’t make everyone join the effort. They are not forcing anything.

Forcing just doesn’t work. We can get caught up in demanding someone’s attention or friendship. We can pressure our kids to turn out the way we’ve always hoped. We can urge others to join our cause until they’re uncomfortable and “turn us off.” Even when it comes to expressing our beliefs, we can get carried away—although fortunately we do stop short of threatening as the Crusaders did, “Accept the Christian faith or I’ll kill you!” The trouble with these strategies is that they don’t really work! Oh, perhaps they might be successful short-term, but in the long run they tend to have more negative results than positive. Forcing just doesn’t work.

So, let it go. The Wisdom writer said, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:21) We can’t make the really important stuff happen. But God can.

Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. United States of America. All rights reserved.

MaryMartha
(All rights reserved)

email: mrymrtha@gmail.com