Letting Go
I am not a parent, but this week I got a glimpse or two of what it feels like to be one. It was the scariest feeling in the world. (Now all of you mothers out there are smiling.) When you look into the wrinkled red-face of a screaming baby and wish he could just tell you what’s wrong, it’s unnerving. On the other hand, when you look at the unvoiced pain in the eyes of a child in grade-school and wonder if they are screaming inside, it can be even more unnerving. When I look in the eyes of my friends and see their heart—bruised, trampled on, and torn to pieces, I just want to sit and cry. Sometimes I even wonder, like I’m sure moms do, “Have I done enough? Too much? Have I cared enough?” How do they survive is what I want to know! It’s overwhelming. Finally as I paced nervously across the floor one night, I had to learn to do something else moms do. I had to turn off the light, close my eyes… and let go. That’s not the same thing as giving up. Letting go is taking the people you love and placing them in much stronger, more capable hands. Letting go is trusting that those hands know and are able to do what is best, and believing that those hands will never drop what you have entrusted to them. It wasn’t easy. It was hard. I’ll probably have to do it again tonight, and many more nights in the future. I have a way of trying to take them back into my frail hands. But God is not disturbed. He just says, “Let me hold them. I love them more than you do. Let me handle it. I’ll take care of them.”
Heavenly Father, help me trust you completely. Show me how to love, listen, and comfort the people around me who need a glimpse of your love. But help me understand when to reach out, and when to let go. There seems to be a fine line there Lord, and I need your help to see it. Thank you that You are the perfect parent. Help us to come to You with our scraped knees and wounded hearts. Only You can provide healing and comfort like we need. Only You can untangle all the knots inside of us. Help me trust you to do all this… in Your time.
Psalm 73:23-24
“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.”
I am not a parent, but this week I got a glimpse or two of what it feels like to be one. It was the scariest feeling in the world. (Now all of you mothers out there are smiling.) When you look into the wrinkled red-face of a screaming baby and wish he could just tell you what’s wrong, it’s unnerving. On the other hand, when you look at the unvoiced pain in the eyes of a child in grade-school and wonder if they are screaming inside, it can be even more unnerving. When I look in the eyes of my friends and see their heart—bruised, trampled on, and torn to pieces, I just want to sit and cry. Sometimes I even wonder, like I’m sure moms do, “Have I done enough? Too much? Have I cared enough?” How do they survive is what I want to know! It’s overwhelming. Finally as I paced nervously across the floor one night, I had to learn to do something else moms do. I had to turn off the light, close my eyes… and let go. That’s not the same thing as giving up. Letting go is taking the people you love and placing them in much stronger, more capable hands. Letting go is trusting that those hands know and are able to do what is best, and believing that those hands will never drop what you have entrusted to them. It wasn’t easy. It was hard. I’ll probably have to do it again tonight, and many more nights in the future. I have a way of trying to take them back into my frail hands. But God is not disturbed. He just says, “Let me hold them. I love them more than you do. Let me handle it. I’ll take care of them.”
Heavenly Father, help me trust you completely. Show me how to love, listen, and comfort the people around me who need a glimpse of your love. But help me understand when to reach out, and when to let go. There seems to be a fine line there Lord, and I need your help to see it. Thank you that You are the perfect parent. Help us to come to You with our scraped knees and wounded hearts. Only You can provide healing and comfort like we need. Only You can untangle all the knots inside of us. Help me trust you to do all this… in Your time.
Psalm 73:23-24
“Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. With Your counsel You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory.”
posted by Kara Bird | 11:01 PM
1 Comments:
Letting go is not the same as giving up. I like that. I wonder if our kids would be better off if we let go more often.
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