Letting Go

Letting go can sometimes be hard to do.  I remember when I was packing to move across the country, I found there was so much “stuff” I had. Realistically, I knew I could not take it all with me. I knew I had to let go of some things, no matter how much I wanted to hold on to them.  I had to really evaluate the purpose of these items.  Did I need these items or simply just “want” them?  Now while there is generally nothing wrong with the “want” I had to decide if the “want” would be a help or a hindrance.  Would the things I was trying to hold on to help me with my next steps, and future, or would it hold me down and back?

There are times that we struggle with moving forward because we do not want to let the familiar go.  And I get it. The familiar is comfortable. It is what we know. It is “safe”.  But at the same time, we long for more, and greater.  I was talking with someone recently about moving up and forward.  As we talked, she gave the analogy of climbing stairs. Simply put, she said “What happens when you are climbing stairs? You have to move your feet up. You can’t go to the next floor if you keep the other foot on the bottom step. You are going to be stuck between two places” How often are we stuck between two “places” because we don’t make the decision to let go and step up?

As we are moving into this new year, are we really ready to let some things go, in order to move forward?  What are the benefits of carrying old and heavy things? What would it cost us if we try to carry things that do not benefit us?  Think about the suitcase on the plane. If it is over 50lbs we have to pay an overage fee. Is that overage fee worth it?  I often wondered why planes charged overage fees if the bag was over a certain limit, but it makes sense.  If my suitcase is too heavy, it can impact the person who is lifting it.  Then lifting my overweight suitcase can cause them harm. L Additionally, there is the fuel efficiency of carrying heavier items.  The heavier something is, the more fuel and energy is consumed.  We are the same way.  The heavier the burdens, stuff, people, etc. the more it weighs us down.  The extra, unnecessary weight, can slow us down, weigh us down, and cause hurt to self and others. 

The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your cares upon Him for He cares for you.”  In other words: let it go! Let’s make a decision to let go of the things, people, thoughts, ideas, that are holding us back.  It is time to press forward. If it does not bring us value, or serve us, it belongs in the past.  There is greater ahead for us. Are we ready to leave the baggage behind, and embrace what is ahead. Are we ready for the new? Then let’s let it all go, and embrace what’s to come.