Beauty in Letting Go

 

I was sitting on our deck yesterday.  There was a chill in the air, and the leaves were beginning to fall from the trees.  Although my chores beckoned me inside, I could not leave the beauty in watching the leaves dance from the tallest of trees down to the green grass – covering the green in a blanket of red, yellow, and orange.  It was pure beauty.

It is hard not to relate the beauty of autumn to our lives, especially during seasons of change.  As much as folks may say they ‘enjoy change,’ when the onion is pulled back, often they find themselves ‘enduring change,’ not necessarily enjoying it.  Yet, there is beauty in the ability for us to let go of the past and focus on what is ahead.  Reflect with me on times when you may have held on to areas that were not necessarily building you up – but may have been tearing you down.  Expectations not being met, disappointment in behavior, fear of doing something new, resentment of being wronged.  These and many other scenarios can find us holding on to areas of our lives that can weigh us down.  More importantly, our ability to only dwell in the past does not leave room for us to move towards new and exciting things in our lives. 

Letting go of what pulls us down or what we may be afraid of is not necessarily giving up.   Letting go may be what we need to do to have a stronger faith in Christ.  When Jesus pulls at us to gain peace and comfort in releasing the past, we need to trust that His new things for us are far greater!  We need to have simple faith that His way and His path will be the one that will lead us to great things – things that are meant for us set by the One that knows us best!  Is it easy?  No.  We are comfortable with what we know, not what we do not know.  But it is in that uncertainty that we can rely on the One that is certain – Jesus.  He is our comfort when we are uncomfortable.  He is our known in the unknown.  He is our strength in our weakest moments.

We gain much when we let go – most of all – the ability to prepare for what is to come.  Think about our trees and their leaves for a moment.  This was so evident one autumn when an ice storm hit New Hampshire far earlier than anticipated.  The leaves had not left the trees yet and the ice came pouring on their branches.  The leaves weighed down branches so much that many of the trees did not survive.  When the leaves are gone, the branches have an easier time of surviving our harsh winters.  When we let go of the ‘baggage’ we may be holding on to, we then provide room in our hearts and souls to be filled with faith for Jesus and the ability to build on the new things we need to for our lives.

What are you holding on to?  Is it time to be like the beautiful autumn leaves and let fall to the ground what needs to move away in order to make way for the beauty God has in store for you?  Have simple faith that God will be the green grass to catch you! 

Video that complements this post:  Beauty in the Change

Dearest Jesus, help me to release the past and focus on the new things you have for my life.  Let me have simple faith that your plan will always be the best for me.  Amen!