Letting Go

Two things have been on my mind lately. The first is a question from a devotional journal: What am I grasping that I should be giving to God today? The other is this quote that my friend posted on her blog, A Joyful Life:

Christian love will show itself in the general spirit and demeanor of a believer. It will make him kind, unselfish, good-natured, good-tempered, and considerate for others. It will make him gentle, affable, and courteous, in all the daily relations of private life. It will make him thoughtful for others’ comfort, tender for others’ feelings, and more anxious to give pleasure than to receive. True love never envies others when they prosper, nor rejoices in the calamities of others when they are in trouble. At all times, it will believe, and hope, and try to put a good construction on others’ actions. And even at the worst, it will be full of pity, mercy, and compassion. ~ J.C. Ryle

I've been so focused on unplugging from material things and neglecting the unseen that I hold close to my heart.  How does it help us if I let go of the tangible stuff but hold on to unpleasant experiences, to relationships that are harmful, to the idea that I need to fix every problem?

When I spend my time reflecting on negative things, I reflect a negative attitude. I'm certainly not good-tempered, considerate, or gentle. Any effort to do anything good is far from fruitful and I don't find any joy in it.

The battle has been not the letting go itself but in recognizing and acknowledging that I was holding on to something in the first place. Giving up has been surprisingly easy and freeing! The one time we can say, "I give up" in our culture and not feel guilty is when we let go of something we know we cannot manage on our own and give it to God. How perfect is that?! I can relax and enjoy the peace that comes with knowing it's being taken care of.