Often, I visualize myself as a child on the monkey bars. As I swing forward from one bar to the next, I must let go of the prior bar to keep the momentum going and grab to hang on to the next. There is always a brief moment I am suspended in the air. I have let go before I can hang on to the next bar. If I look down, I fall. If I keep my eyes on the next bar and stretch, I will catch it just after I let go of the one behind. I cannot hold on and grab simultaneously, or all momentum is lost.
Have you ever tried to hang on and let go simultaneously? It seems like a paradox. Years ago, a teacher told me, “There are times when you must hold on to Jesus for dear life.” At the time, I thought he was being a bit dramatic. I was twenty-two years old, so what did I know about life? When my life did spin out of control and fall apart, I had to hold on to Jesus for dear life. This was not the only time I experienced the strange phenomenon of hanging on while letting go.
Hold Tight, Let Go
I am a woman of habit, structure, and consistency; in other words, I like control. The plus side is I am independent, reliable, and responsible. The negative side is I am stubborn and unwilling to try new things. Ultimately, I lose out on lessons and blessings because I hold too tightly to my familiar routine and plans.
Currently, I need to let go while hanging on yet again. At first, I wanted to scream “NO,” my plans are good, even godly plans. But as time passed, I realized though my plans were good, at this time, they were not God’s best plans for me.
This year, I am letting go of plans to attend several conferences for writers and speakers. Instead of four, I will attend one. My family circumstances have changed, and I am needed at home this year.
Lord, Not My Will But Yours Be Done
As I accepted letting go of my plans in exchange for hanging on, I recalled other times when I let go and let God provide as I clung to Him.
- One of my early lessons was when I let go of a unique and beautiful shade tree because it died. But God had a hidden heart-gift waiting for me. (Click here to read the post.)
- Later, when I let go of a beloved church home, God had a new church family, which was the catalyst for falling in love with writing and speaking as I hung on to Jesus while letting go.
- I hung on to Jesus as I let go of my first marriage. Later, the Lord provided my wonderful husband of thirty years. (Click here to read the story.)
- I hung on to Jesus as I gave up my son to a juvenile system I did not understand, only to be blessed later by my son’s renewed faith in the Lord.
God is Faithful
Remembering God’s faithfulness strengthens me as I trust Him for the future. I think about the children of Israel. They had to let go of land, home, and family more than once. Each time, they had to trust God for their future. When God provided for their needs or performed a miracle, He often directed them to build an altar to commemorate the event or encounter with God. The purpose was not to worship the altar but to remember God’s faithfulness and worship Him each time they passed by the altar. It was a reminder that He is trustworthy even in an unknown future.
It has taken me years to grasp this strange truth that when I hold on to Jesus, regardless of the circumstance, He prepares a path filled with surprises and gifts. Most of the time, I have gone kicking and screaming. But when I let go, I find a gift, a surprise, or an unexpected blessing I would have missed. I must let go of my will and let His will be done.
I look back at God’s faithfulness when my initial ideas were halted, changed, or diverted, only to remember God’s unexpected provisions. When I hang on to Jesus, I can let go of my plans for His. It’s not easy. I like my plans. But there is a refreshing peace of acceptance. My Father in Heaven has always been faithful.
Blessings,
Personal Parables is the blog of Dyann Shepard. Get Dyann’s complementary study in Proverbs and prayer guide, What to Do When You Don’t Feel Good Enough. If you need encouragement to remember the truth about yourself in times of doubt and anxiety, this free 5-day study is for you. Follow Dyann and Personal Parables on Instagram and Facebook. Dyann is available for speaking, guest blogging, and article writing.
Personal Parables Practices
- Is there something God is asking you to let go of as you hang on to Him?
- Ask yourself, “Why am I afraid to let go?”
- What “altar of remembrance” do you need to erect to help you trust Jesus with your future?
Pray with Me
Dear God in heaven, thank you for your faithfulness. You have ordained my days and your plans are perfect. Open my eyes to the path you have chosen for me. Reveal to me when I must let go of my will in order to reach for the joy you have waiting for me. Thank you for your patience. Amen.
Scripture for Meditation
Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV) – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Hebrews 10:23, (NIV) – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Joshua 23:8b (NLT) – Cling tightly to the LORD your God as you have done until now.
2 Kings 18:6 (AMP) – For he clung to the LORD; he did not turn away from [faithfully] following Him, but he kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Music for Reflection
