Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:5-6a ESV
This morning I was talking with Kelly Greer from Ain't No Mountain Too High. She reminded me that she wrote a post ("Falling in Love" with Change) that went along with a recent theme that we've been noticing...
God is calling his daughters to "Let Go!"
Just this week Lynn D. Morrissey wrote about the topic over at Redemption's Beauty in a post titled: Letting Go-In Her Words.
As a matter of fact, Shelly Miller from Remption's Beauty is writing a whole series this month on the topic: 31 Days of Letting Go.
And a couple weeks ago, Jennifer Dukes Lee from Getting Down with Jesus, saw those words in San Francisco and wrote: Why It's Safe to Let Go
I received an email from a friend during that same week, and she shared with our "band of sisters" that a little birdie told her that some of us were needing to "Let Go" of some things that were holding us back. (I paraphrased, a bit there, Kathy :) She recommended a book, she is reading, by Sheila Walsh...Let Go: Live Free of the Burdens All Women Know.
I am listening.
But the real question is will I let go? Will I surrender? Will I release myself and others from unrealistic expectations? Will I forgive?
Dear Jesus...Help me to "Let Go!"
While at the same time, You promise to never let me go! Thank You!
Kel, this is such an important theme and reality. God can fill only hands that are empty. We need to let go our will and take hold of his. The Letting Go essay I wrote over at Shelly Miller's Redemption's Beauty blog is about how I let go my own self-centered will and had a baby, because this was God's will for my life. Next, He asked me to let go my career in order to raise her. I won't say it was easy; in fact, I rebelliously clung to my own selfish desires, but when I finally let go, I felt such freedom and joy. And I can't begin to enumerate all the wondrous blessings our daughter Sheridan, now twenty, brings us. You asked the all-important question about willingness to surrender. But when you surrender to Christ, you receive His peace. THere is no greater joy. At this season, I need to ask myself anew what He wants me to let go. It's an ever-evolving process. But you are SO RIGHT! He never lets go of us! I'm glad you mentioned Shelly's series. I think your readers would really enjoy the many-nuanced ways in which she shows us how to let go. Both she and Jennifer Lee are wonderful writers (like you!) and they will also be speaking at the Jumping Tandem retreat on dreams. I hope your readers will consider going. Many of us have had to let go some dreams, and that hurts; but God will give us better ones! Thank you for this post!
ReplyDeleteKel, after exiting your post, I realize I had not read Kelly's. She wrote this so beautifully and shows such great courage. But imagine my complete surprise that she had written about my Spiritual CPR class that I taught to you all. What a joy as her facilitator to read about the impact this class had as God used the gift of journaling to draw out the depths of her soul! Oh! I am sooooo passionate about journaling. Praise God for this wonderful gift of reflective writing!
ReplyDeleteThx lynni for you heart and encouraging comment
ReplyDeleteI look forward to seeing more of your story unfold and be told with bold strokes of color and lots of openness and releasing into God's dreams for you! And by your surrender, we will be released to fall into His dreams and hopes for us.
Love and hugs- kel