Letting go

I wear the chain I forged in life. . . . I made it link by link and yard by yard.
I girded it on of my own free will,
and of my own free will I wore it.
--Charles Dickens  

It’s Lent, the 40-day period when Christians reflect on the time Jesus spent in the wilderness and his ultimate crucifixion and resurrection. For many, Lent is a time of quiet introspection. Some choose to make these forty days a tithe of this year of their lives, giving something up as a sacrifice to God. What began as largely a Catholic practice is now commonplace even among non-Christians, as people choose to give up a bad habit for a season, in hopes the change might last a lifetime.

What if, instead of giving up something for Lent, we chose to think of it as letting go? Let go of speaking too quickly or impatiently. Let go of an old resentment or broken relationship. Let go of insisting on doing things “my way or the highway.”

When we let go of things that hold us back from serving God fully, a remarkable thing happens. In place of impatience, God creates a space for listening. In releasing resentment, God gives a new sense of peace and belonging. And believe it or not . . . in letting go of the need to be in charge, we begin to more fully become the person we were created to be.

Take a deep breath. Now . . . let it go.

Monday This is the forty-first week of this project to pray with and for one another. Pause and reflect: How has your prayer life been changed or re-formed? Give thanks. Acts 16:25-31

Tuesday While Lent is a time for reflection, God still wishes for his children to live joy-filled lives. What one thing could you do that would increase your enjoyment of time spent with the Lord? 1 Timothy 6:17

Wednesday Regret over things past can rob us of delight in our present lives. How, through the grace of God, will you seek to make this year better than the last? Isaiah 41: 10

Thursday (Spring at last!) Spring is a time of renewal of all living things, a time to cast off the slough of winter and begin afresh. What is the one biggest time-waster in your life? Ask God to help you change. Jeremiah 7:13

Friday We are the Church—together. God has created each one of us to serve in unique fashion. What new way are you feeling called to serve God at the Church in the Circle? Joshua 24:14-15

Saturday Look deep today as you pray for yourself. Is there something God is calling you to do that seems impossible? Pray for God to answer your questions and ease your doubts. Now step out in faith and begin. James 1:5-6

SundayAnother “little Easter” to rejoice as members of the Family of Christ. As part of this family, how might you seek to improve your relationship with another? 1 Timothy 3:5

To hold, you must first open your hand. Let go. –Lao Tzu

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stepping back. . . .

Image
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and with a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,  even if your whole world seems upset.  –St. Francis de Sales This week, I invite you to simply sit in a quiet space with words of hope and promise, and to remember, as Julian of Norwich knew, that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well . It has been a long, difficult season. Advent and the coming of the Christ is just around the corner. Peace and comfort to your spirit. Monday   “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” Matthew 11:28-30 Tuesday  “Is this not the kind of fast I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6-9 Wednesday  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the
Read more

It's that time again. . . .

When the seasons shift, even the subtle beginning, the scent of a promised changed, I feel something stir inside me. Hopefulness? Gratitude? Openness?  Whatever it is,  it’s welcome. –Kristin Armstrong No matter what part of the world you call home, this time of year brings big changes. While my friends Down Under are watching sings of new growth emerge from the earth as temperatures rise, here in Ohio, the leaves are turning from green to gold and orange, red and brown. The winds have taken on a chill; clouds hang heavy, like soggy cotton, reminding us that soon and very soon, we are going to see the snow . Always different, yet somehow, the same. We depend on God’s eternal ways, and trust that again this year, winter will follow autumn, just like it should. So why is it, as we anticipate and appreciate changes like these, when it comes to so many things in life we pull up short, wrinkle our noses and say No! No change! I like things just the way they are! It’s t
Read more

Starting again

“This, then, is how you should pray:" --Matthew 6:9a I have been really sensing lately that there is another blog inside me, one focused on prayer.  Oh, I know-- those elephants are all about prayer. Heck, they  are  prayer. And I will continue there, as well. But what I've been feeling is that people-- maybe you--  have always been told, "You should pray," or "Pray about that." But maybe you feel your prayers aren't "good enough," or that it's just too hard, too embarrassing, too [fill in the blank] to pray. Maybe it feels like no one really talks about how  to pray-- except, of course, for Jesus, in Matthew 6 and a couple parallel passages where we are given what's come to be known as The Lord's Prayer. And it is a great prayer. And there are other great prayers, and other ways to pray that do not involve rote. So "my plan" here is to share, hopefully on a weekly or semi-regular basis, a lot of
Read more