Let go. Let God.
I have never been very good at letting go. When I was young, my little sister bit me on the cheek. I am quite certain she had 1 million reasons to do this, but I still talk about my cheek hurting. It is hard to let go of painful memories...no matter how big or small they may be.
Recently, I learned one of the pastors at my church will begin a new appointment next month. I have traveled on amazing mission trips with him to Costa Rica. I have sought counsel from him regarding raising children. I have had the honor to work alongside him on a multitude of very exciting projects too numerous to count. On a recent Sunday morning, I asked him, "What if we just don't let you go?" It is hard to let go of those we love.
When my daughter made her way from Texas to Alabama in the fall of 2017, she took a piece of my heart with her. Although I knew Auburn University was the perfect fit for her, I couldn't wrap my head around the distance separating us. Like many other moms, I searched for ways I could feel closer to her. I became dependent on the "Find My Friends" iPhone app as this amazing invention allowed me to know her exact location. Knowing her location brought me a certain level of peace and comfort...until it didn't.
On a recent Friday morning, she didn't answer her phone. She didn't reply to text messages. For 2 1/2 hours, the location of her phone never changed. From my home in Texas, it appeared her Alabama phone sat in the middle of a desolate road, untouched and undisturbed. I just knew someone had taken my 5'1" girl and left her phone behind. When I finally heard from my girl, I heard her loud and clear as she screamed these words, "Mom, you have to trust me and let me go a little more. I cannot continue to have you doubt what I'm doing." Everything she said (or screamed!) to me that day was a blessing.
This is what I have come to know. As we loosen our grip on that which is hard to let go, we offer God this glorious opportunity to tighten His grip even more. In those Holy, sacred moments, He shows up in big, mighty ways. Shortly after sending out a search party for my daughter and not needing to pay ransom, I made the scary decision to delete her location from the Find My Friends app. In those first few days of facing the unknown, God gently reminded me our security on this temporal earth does not come from "things" that give us a false sense of peace. Our security ONLY comes from Him. Over the past several days, instead of "Finding my Friends," I have remained focused on "Finding my God." Instead of focusing on the scary part of parenting we call "letting go," I have focused on that trusting part of faith we call "letting God." When we begin to let go...when we begin to let God...His peace overwhelms our souls. His love brings us comfort. His hope wins. Praise God for this beautiful reality. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment