COURAGE, BRAVEHEART

Sometimes in life, God calls us to let things go.

Maybe its an old habit. Maybe it’s worries about the future. Or worries about repeating the same mistakes of the past.

Maybe it’s a burden that He wants to set you free from. Maybe it’s lies someone has spoken over you in the past. Maybe it’s lies you’ve told yourself and have continued to believe year after year, until you can’t remember what the truth is anymore.

Maybe it’s an idol you need to let go of. Maybe it’s a hurt you can’t forgive that still affects you on the daily. Maybe it’s a job. Or wanting a family. Or success at the work of your hands. Maybe it’s a person you need to let go of.

Whatever it is, letting go can be a painful thing. It can be a scary thing. So scary that it causes some of us to freeze right where we are and stay put for a very long time. Maybe  for a season. Sometimes years. Sometimes it’s so painful or scary, that it causes us to grip whatever that thing is with all our might, unwilling to release it for fear of losing it all together. Whatever the case, I think it’s safe to say we’ve all been there.

Letting go is no joke. It requires an immense amount of bravery and strength. It requires grieving the loss of something or perhaps someone close to us. It requires a conscious choice to move forward in action. And whatever it may be, it requires insane trust and faith in the process of the unseen things. The things that God is doing behind the curtain.

Remember when Dorothy first went in to meet the wizard in The Wizard of Oz? She was taken into this giant room with high vaulted ceilings and suddenly, before she knew it, there was smoke and fire and The Great Wizard appeared. He had a booming voice, which he used to put Dorothy in her place. The whole experience was intimidating and left Dorothy shaking in her ruby slippers. But remember what happened when toto ran over and pulled the curtain back and she was finally able to see what was going on behind the curtain? The thing that seemed so terrifying at first, was now reduced to something not so scary or intimidating at all. In fact, the Wizard was nothing but a mere man; insecure and scared himself. The same as any of the rest of us.

In life, letting go means a few scary things might happen. You might be out of control (yikes!), or you might have to trust someone else to lead your life for you (yeah, no thanks!), or you might have to admit that maybe you don’t have all the answers (gulp!). So instead of having to face those scary things, we say, “Yeah….I’m good. None of that sounds peachy to me. I think I’ll stay put. I’m just fine right here!”

But if you could peek behind the curtain and see what’s actually on the other side of letting go, how much more likely would you be willing to do it? Probably pretty likely! I know I would, because then I could see the good in it. Or I could see the bad in it in order to prepare myself for whatever is ahead. Then I could protect myself, in a way. If we could see the end result, then we would know what we needed to do to prepare ourselves. And if you’re a planner like me, then a lot of times this feels like a necessity in moving forward.

But what if letting go is not about protecting yourself. What if it’s not about knowing the end result or knowing how to plan. What if it’s not about being prepared in the way that you think you need preparation. What if letting go is really about stepping out in blind faith when you can’t see any of that. Would you be willing to do it then?

Crickets….

Yeah, I get it. I’ve been there too.

But what if I told you this. When you’re actually able to let go, with open hands and release everything into the great unknown, I think you will be surprised to find that you’ll experience something that you’re not anticipating. And do you know what that thing is?

FREEDOM!

Incredible freedom. Any Braveheart fans in the house!? That’s right William Wallace, we’re lookin’ at you. Come on. Scream it with me. That’s right. Don’t be shy!! Say it with me…

FREEEEEDDDOOOOMMM!!!

Freedom. Sit with that word for a moment. Just close your eyes and think about it.

What does it make you feel? The word itself evokes a sense of being liberated. Released. Delivered. No longer being imprisoned or enslaved. And isn’t that what holding on too tightly is? It’s being imprisoned. Trapped. Tied to something we want to be released from. Enslaved by fear. And worry. And anxiety. And stress. And doubt. And the unknown. And the list goes on and on.

But in our desperate attempts, when we are gripping those things so tightly, and our eyes are so focused on what we’re holding onto, we’re missing the freedom that God’s trying to hand us. The things He wants us to grab ahold of, we’re not able to, because we haven’t chosen to release the old thing. Letting go is just that. Releasing. In order to grab ahold of the new thing, you have to let go of the old thing. You can’t have both.

And as scary as it sounds. It’s actually liberating. I love these two quotes by Deepak Chopra and Herman Hesse.

“In the process of letting go, you will lose many things from the past, but you will find yourself.” – Deepak Chopra

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.”
– Herman Hesse

Can I get an amen!?!

So in the moments where it feels scary. Where there are unknown ventures ahead and your footing seems shotty. Maybe that’s exactly the place you need to be in order to find yourself. To find your strength. To find your story. Your journey. Your trust, both in the Lord and what He has in store for you and in learning to trust yourself. And unless you are willing to let go and step out onto that invisible bridge, just like in Indiana Jones, the Last Crusade, you’ll never find the treasure that God has in store for you.

So go ahead Braveheart. Let go of whatever it is that is holding you back or holding you in place. Step out and be willing to take a peek behind the curtain, and then wait to see all the glorious riches that await you when you trust in the one who calls you out.