Grace to let go
Daily
II Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Good morning!
Last night, I spoke with my daughter Rachel over the telephone. It was the first time we actually got to chat since she and Dave returned from their vacation to the Riviera Maya. There is a sweet story behind the planning of this trip. On a hot Sunday morning last August, Rachel found herself lying on a gurney in the emergency room of a local hospital, hemorrhaging uncontrollably from cervical cancer. Her husband Dave tried to find some way to distract her from the fear they were both experiencing at that time. He flipped on the television set above her bed, and a beautiful beach appeared on the big screen. They found themselves caught up in the travel channel, and watched it together in teary silence, allowing the view to draw them away from a harsh and scary reality.
Dave leaned over and whispered in Rachel’s ear, “Honey, when you beat this cancer, I’ll take you anywhere in the world you want to go.” Rachel pointed to the beach on the screen and softly said, “That looks pretty good to me.” When Rachel received the news that she was cancer free, Dave promptly drove to their local travel agent and booked the vacation. What a wonderful testimony to love! I have a great son-in-law. There is no doubt of his love and commitment to our daughter, and their children.
Rachel was looking forward to the trip for many reasons. Their pictures are breathtaking. One of the excursions they made was a rip cord ride through the jungle. I have a hard time envisioning this in my mind, but I’ve seen it done on television. It must be very exciting to fly through mid-air attached to a harness and bungee tether, embracing the beauty of the jungle as you fly by on a cord. I wondered how Rachel would handle this experience. Rachel said, “Mom, I let go of the rope and flew upside down, hands free!” Oh boy! Sometimes we get just a little too much information from our kids. I can tell you I did not need to know that particular detail of their trip!
It takes a lot of grace to learn how to place complete trust in the Lord. I learn these lessons best in moments of adversity. I think many human hearts try to avoid conflict, if possible. It is hard to be put to the test. We tend to stress over lots of stuff; some of it is trivial in the grand scheme of life. But there are other times, when we may face a life-threatening illness or injury, that faith in Christ emerges front and center. We have ask ourselves the question, “How much are we really willing to let go completely and let God lead, no matter where the journey takes us?”
I would guess the reason Rachel was able to let go of that cord is because she has had a lot of practice in letting go and trusting God this year. The Apostle Paul encourages all Christians to not live with a spirit of timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. We must be willing to trust the Lord enough to let go of the things we cannot change, and hold on to the only one who can change us. Rachel is living proof that even when we experience the darkest moments of our days, we have a life net in our Savior and Lord. We can let go and trust Him completely, in all things. He is able to guard what we entrust to Him for each day (I Timothy 1:12b).
This is a great time of year to let go and trust God. There is so much more to Advent than holiday preparation and gift giving. The only gift we need to receive is the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Won’t you let go of the things that are weighing you down today and place complete trust in Jesus?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Faith UMC -
Pray for: grace to let go! Let go of the things that hold you back, keeping you tied up in knots with worry and fear. There is nothing so great that Jesus cannot handle.
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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