To the Woman Who Is Afraid to Let Go

Dear Friend,

Can I ask you something? Are you holding on to something because you're afraid of what might happen if you let it go? Maybe it's a relationship, a situation you can't change, or a future you're trying so hard to figure out. Whatever it is, I know how difficult it can be to loosen your grip when you don't know what comes next.

I've spent a lot of my life trying to control things that were never really in my control. I thought if I could just figure everything out, make the right decisions, or somehow keep everyone happy, things would turn out the way I wanted. But all that worrying never gave me the peace I was looking for.

When I started growing in my relationship with Jesus, I began to understand that surrender wasn't just something I did the day I gave my life to Him. It's something I have to practice every day. And I'll tell you, some days I'm better at it than others!

There's a Scripture that I come back to when I catch myself trying to figure everything out.

Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) says:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

I love that God doesn't tell us we have to understand everything. He asks us to trust Him. That's not always easy, especially when things aren't going the way we hoped.

I've learned that letting go doesn't mean I stop caring or that I sit back and do nothing. Sometimes it means doing what I know is right and trusting God with the outcome. Other times it means accepting that I can't make someone change, no matter how much I love them or how badly I want things to be different.

Maybe there's something you've been praying about for a long time. You've done everything you know to do, and you're still waiting. I understand how tempting it can be to take matters into your own hands when God seems quiet.

But what if, just for today, you stopped trying to figure out how everything is going to turn out? What if you asked God to show you the next step instead of demanding to see the whole road?

I'm still learning to do that myself. There are days when I give something to God in prayer and find myself worrying about it again an hour later. When that happens, I have to remind myself that trusting Him is a choice I can make again.

So whatever you're holding on to today, I hope you'll bring it to Jesus. Tell Him why you're afraid. Ask Him for wisdom about what you need to do, and trust Him with the things you cannot change.

You don't have to have everything figured out to take the next step in faith.

Sometimes letting go is where we finally begin to find peace.

With love,

Jana