Browsing Tag

letting go

How to Let Go and Trust God: An Autumn Lesson



Autumn is a time of shedding. For a few weeks every fall, many parts of the country enjoy a colorful landscape dotted with russet oaks, red-orange maples, or golden aspens.

But the beautiful foliage doesn’t last forever. Soon the time comes for the trees to release their leaves…

whether they waft gently to the ground,

or they’re blown away suddenly by strong winds.

Interestingly, these trees don’t need their leaves anymore. They are preparing for winter, aiming to conserve water and energy for the days ahead.

The good news is that despite the loss of leaves, we can have confident hope and anticipation of new growth in the springtime, when bare-limbed trees will sprout fresh, green leaves.

The same can be true in our own lives.

There are seasons to “shed” or get rid of things that no longer serve us.

What are some things you need to release in your life? What needs to go?

Years ago, I was recovering from a horrible breakup and I could not seem to let go. I was holding on to “what was” and “what could have been.”

I was hurt and angry about how poorly my boyfriend treated me when we ended things, so I was grappling with forgiving him.

I felt as if I was holding onto the past so firmly, like a tight fist, and our loving Lord was prying it away one finger at a time.

Then, one winter day while walking in a nearby park, I came upon some scrub oak trees. Surprisingly, some of the branches still had leaves clinging to them—but they were dried up, crunchy and brown.

It was wintertime. Their season had passed, yet still they clung on.

It stopped me in my tracks as I realized that I was just like those tenacious oak leaves.

My season with this guy had passed, yet I still hung on.

How could I let go?

I wasn’t able to do it on my own. I’d tried for months.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew and carried dozens of leaves off the scrub oaks in front of me.

And in that moment I knew that the strength I needed to let go would never come from my own limited abilities.

I needed the power of God to blow strong winds of change in my life—to release my grip on the past and drive away the lingering sadness.

And He did.

God helped me to forgive the person who had hurt me so greatly. It wasn’t easy, but it was possible. And I was finally able to move on in freedom and peace.

Whether you need to let go of a person, the past, or something else, you can choose to be free and find joy again.

Maybe you need to shed fear and doubt.

Perhaps you want to release worry, anxiety, or negativity, and find relief.

Or maybe, like me, you need to walk away from the misery from a breakup or another loss, and move forward into renewed hope and joy.

When you let go and give your worries to God, you can trust that He will take care of whatever you’re holding on to so tightly. You can always rely on Him.

God loves you—more than you know. He is wise. He is good. And He will be faithful to work all things together for His good purposes, as we are reminded in Romans 8:28.

Here is one of my favorite verses that’s helped me through many of life’s hardships:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord, not people or circumstances. Not feelings or emotions. Why?

Because we may not have a full understanding of the situation. God knows what we don’t know. And He has the ability to guide us, and change our situation—no matter how difficult it may seem.

When we when we look at what’s happening around us, we can tend to sink into fear and doubt. Yet, when we look our strong God, we stand firm in His mighty power.

Think about what you need to release in your life. What do you need to shed in order to make room for new growth, or perhaps something better?

Then ask God to help you. And choose to trust Him every step of the way.

It’s the season of shedding. Let it go.

It’s time.

                               ***

Jackie M. Johnson is an author and blogger who writes inspiring content on growing a better life, the power of prayer, and encouragement for singles. Her books include the breakup recovery guide, When Love Ends and the Ice Cream Carton Is Empty, Power Prayers for Women, and Praying with Power When Life Gets Tough. Connect with Jackie at www.jackiejohnsoncreative.com.

Letting Go: It’s Never Easy, But It Is Possible

When something is broken our first response is to fix it. A broken pipe under the sink. A broken lock on the front door. A broken chain on our bike. We get out-of-order things back in order, and move on.

In human hearts, it’s not always that easy.

When our hearts break from the ending of a relationship—a dating relationship or a marriage—or other life losses, experts often give us advice: Grieve the loss. Deal with your emotions. Let it go. Give it to God.

What they are really saying is: surrender.

Not to admit defeat. But yield your way to God’s way. Lay down your will for His will. And He will take care of it. He will heal your pain.

Indeed, God is in the business of healing broken hearts and lives. He redeems our losses and messes for His good purposes.

But it’s not always easy to let go.

The good news is that a transformation of the heart happens as we surrender to God our longing, our lack, our mess, our confusion, our whole hearts.

We see an example of “surrender” and transformation in how wheat becomes bread. It’s quite a process.

In fact, a lot has to happen in order for someone to sink their teeth into a slice of butter-slathered toast.

Winter wheat is planted in the fall before the ground freezes, so the roots can grow deep. What happens next is this:

Seeds grow.

Wheat is harvested.

Grain is milled to become flour.

Flour is mixed with other ingredients to become bread dough.

Dough rises.

Dough is punched down.

Dough rises again.

Dough is punched down again.

Bread dough is put into hot oven.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Finally! The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the room, and a loaf comes out of the oven and onto your table.

What does that have to do with emotional brokenness?

Just as the seeds surrender to the soil, we surrender to God. Over and over again there is continual surrender, letting go in order to transform into the final outcome.

The seed surrenders to the soil.

The grain stalks surrender to the combine.

The wheat kernels surrender to machines that smash wheat into flour.

The bread dough surrenders to the process of baking—kneading and pounding. Yet, pounded for a purpose.

And then, the surrender to the hot oven (often like the intensity of the trials we face in life).

But in the end, after the tiny wheat seeds surrender to the process, they become what they were intended to be all along. And the aroma of freshly baked bread fills the kitchen. Ah! It’s  nourishing food for you to enjoy and to give sustenance to others.

Isn’t that just like the Bread of Life himself, Jesus Christ, to provide such an analogy?

When we surrender our will, we learn to rely on God and trust that He will provide.

As you release your grip on whatever it is that you are holding on to so tightly, and replace it with Jesus (and his unchanging truth), He will restore your weary, wayward or willful heart.

And yet, some people mistakenly think that surrender equals weakness. Instead, giving God your all takes incredible courage and strength. It is brave. You are releasing with a vision of what letting go can become.

Surrender your brokenness—your pain, your loss, your emotions—to the One who loves you most. In His way and His timing, Jesus will redeem it into something worthy and wonderful.

 

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.”
—Psalm 126:5, 6

 

Photo: Nadya Spetnitskaya, unsplash