Friday, January 30, 2015

3 Things Letting Go Has Taught Me

I recently had to let something precious to me go. I had to relinquish it. You can probably guess that it was difficult... It was the kind of thing that you just know, will be with you for sometime to come. I labored over the decision for longer than I'd even realized. It was something I had considered, but just didn't see how it was the right decision, not right now. So, like always, I postponed the inevitable by doing nothing. You know how it is. When you want something to work so badly, that you just keep hanging on to the bull, even though it's jamming your body into the side rails... that's how this was for me. I knew the '8 second' horn would sound at any moment, so I just ignored the pain of being slammed around by something much more powerful than myself. I couldn't let go.

Toxicity

You know, things can get toxic really quickly when we hang on to things we need to release. One ailment left untreated, can spawn into all kinds of weakness & wreak havoc on otherwise healthy life situations. As with anything life dishes... I tried to learn, to grow. I began asking, what is my lesson in all this? How should this situation translate into my complete life, my total being? See I firmly believe that everything that happens in my life, holds some spiritual gleanings that I can partake of for future benefit. I bet you think the same about your life. It's true. Even when we've gotta let go of somethings, some ones, some dreams... some... fill in the blank. We may not always be able to change the whys, but, we can usually gather enough from the whos, whats, whens, wheres & whys, to reap some benefit.

Who Am I

The decision I had to make, to let go, was essentially made for me in this case, it had become a
'no-brainer.' After making it though, I still, began to question my confidence. I knew it was right...but that 'good ole devil' just won't let you off the hook sometimes! So, as I sought some (more) confirmation, I was taken to Exodus 6:10 & 11 which say: Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country." I'll admit.. I was more confused. How does this respond to my situation? Who am I? However, as I meditated on these words spoken originally to Moses, they began to speak to me. I got it. In this, God was telling me two things about the 'one' thing...

I AM MOSES.... I AM PHARAOH
I am the voice that cries out for the freedom of others &... the voice
 that demands they be chained. I am both the slave... & the slave master.
OUCH!!
 
I know it sounds a little loopy. But the word teaches that there are none righteous, not one. So we can expect that in any given situation, not all of our actions will be pure. In this instance, I had made the right choice, to let go, BUT, I needed to see myself as both advocate & antagonist. My decision was timely, but I had to recognize that I played a healthy part in causing the 'thing' to become toxic in the first place. I had to become transparent with myself.
 
What Should I Do Now
 
What now? How should I proceed? Should I hurriedly try to alter the outcome, no. I couldn't change it. And even if I could, I wouldn't because, others were affected also & the final decision, suited every one's best interest, including my own. Obviously, I had to repent.  To confess before God my conflictedness. I was guilty. And then to ask for my redemption in that. What else was I to do? All that's left at this point, are those '5 W's' (who, what, when, where, why) and those 2 tiny little verses. What could God show me through them?
 
The 3 Things Letting Go Taught Me
 
1. 'The Lord Said'
     I, need to listen to God. This is kind of obvious, but
     deserves mention as it is easy to forget this sometimes. Or at least it is for me.
 
2. 'to Moses(& me)... tell the king'...
     I am to be the spokesman for the prisoners, for justice
 
3.  'Pharaoh(& me)...let the Israelites go'...
     I must release ANY & Every thing that I'm holding captive, they belong to God! I must let go!


Yet Another Reminder

It's easy to forget that Jesus died for my grace too. That until he returns, I'm still, guilty of being the oppressor. And that even as I try to be a voice of one crying out in the wilderness...at times I'm still in, the wilderness. How often do we truly reflect on the fact that in every breath we took before meeting Christ, we needed the cross... and still, in every breath after? I'd love to extend the subject passage to show how easy it was going forward for Moses & Pharaoh, but if you know the rest of this account, you'd know it was a lie. Actually, both of these guys faced terrible hardships ahead. So I'm neither saying that letting go is easy to do, nor that it will make your path forward easy. My hope is that this would remind you and me, to self evaluate often. Because I think we could all say we've been the slave owner, the slave spokesman, and even, the slave at various times in our lives, sometimes simultaneously.

Know yourself. Live balanced. Remember what you see in the mirror. It's your and my only opportunity toward real change.
 
Questions: Have you ever felt as though you held such conflicting roles?
                   What factors did you use to determine that letting go was the right option?
 
Hopefully this helps the growth within, come out
 
Rodney

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