Oh, the process of learning how to let go.
That has been a big part of my year. Letting my heart rest in seasons of change, high stress and challenges.
I’ve been in this year of mending.
You have been walking it with me.
Maybe you are walking your own year of mending. Your own season of letting things go.
In the mending, I’m learning to let my heart rest.
I’m learning how to deal with stress in solid ways.
Learning how to let go. To really, really sigh without taking it all back in on myself with the next breath in.
To fully exhale.
Learning how to let go
A few nights ago, Abby came in our room in the middle of the night.
“Mommy, when I close my eyes, I see red eyes. Then, when I open my eyes, I see red eyes in our room. They are all over the place… red, creepy eyes!”
That, of course, is not a good thing for a 10 year old who is trying to go to sleep.
We prayed together, asking Jesus to fill their room with peace, to flood her heart with His presence and to remind her that He is with her. We quoted Psalm 4:8 together as we remembered the amazing promise of sleeping in peace because He is with us.
Quietly and bravely, she walked back across the hall to her room.
A few minutes later she came running back, opening our door with more words spilling from her… “Mom! The eyes are STILL there.”
I began to ask questions… Did you pray when you got back in bed? Did you try to think on things that are lovely and right and good?
She remained quiet.
“Abby?”
“Well, when I got back to my room, Annalise asked what was wrong. So I told her. Then she started telling me a scary story of something SHE saw one time. Now, we are both scared and seeing red eyes!”
Ah… the joys of sisters at 2am.
“Honey, you just prayed and asked Jesus to fill your room with peace. You gave your fear to Jesus. Then, instead of going to sleep, you picked it all back up and filled up your mind with the scary things again. You don’t need to pick it back up. You can leave it with Jesus and go to sleep.”
I walked with her back into their room, talked with the girls and prayed over their room. I encouraged them to pray themselves in Jesus’ Name.
I told them to stop thinking about it, stop talking about it and to trust that Jesus has it all under control.
They can sleep in peace because He is on the job.
Let your hearts rest.
While quietly closing the door, the Holy Spirit began whispering to my heart.
“Jenilee, are you letting your heart rest? Do you know how to let go?”
“But…”
“Are you giving it to Jesus and then just picking it all back up again? Because you don’t have to. You really can let go, exhale and walk away to breathe in new air. You can think on things that are different and good and lovely because Jesus is covering the things you laid at His feet.”
The hurt, the words, the situations, the struggles, the waiting, the mending… it all lands at His capable feet.
And I can walk away.
We can walk away.
How to let go
We can let Jesus do His work, in His time, in His way. We can breathe. We can let our hearts rest.
No worry, no need to rehash and restate and defend. No need to tell Jesus how to do His job or get in there and try to do it ourselves.
We can rest.
We can let our hearts take a break, our minds stop running around like crazy and just rest.
5 Things You Can Do that will Help You Surrender to God and Let Go
What are you picking back up today? What haven’t you let Jesus keep in His hands? What is keeping you from getting a needed heart rest?
New Ways to Pray for Missionaries
Thank you so very much for this message, two years ago, my world was turned upside down and I fell to my knees begging God for help. He sent me a Godly man who was from my childhood in a different state. We were both going through the same thing and became very close friends and started dating. After a year of dating he confided in me that he was not in love with me and felt we should no longer date but wanted to stay my friend because he still cared for me, he just was not in love. I have been so broken ever since. I fell deeply in love with him and respected him so very much. I know he did the right thing but I have not been able to move on. I recently was asked out on a date with another old friend and we had a great evening filled with laughter and reminiscing. The only problem is, even though I knew I needed to take that first step and move on, I still feel so guilty now for going out on the date. We did nothing wrong but my ex still has my heart and I can’t seem to give my self permission to let him go.
Your message was a great help in understanding what I need to do to help start the process of letting go of the lose.
Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this, I really needed this today!!