Make Room By Letting Go

I don’t like giving up … whether it’s a much sought-after goal, letting go of a toxic relationship or changing my perception of what is “acceptable” behavior and values.  I’m sure my attitude is deeply rooted in both my upbringing and the influence of the Mid-Western work ethic based on where I lived as a pre-teen through high school.  You can imagine then, how unprepared I was when life slammed doors shut, the actions of others forced me to accept that those actions were not only hurtful but destructive, and some of my core values were challenged by choices and consequences made outside of my control.  The details of my own experience don’t really matter – I imagine we all have our own stories of disappointment, disillusionment and new direction.  You probably wonder how the photo reflects the content in this blog … so I’ll tell you.  Yesterday was Pancake Day and Fat Tuesday.  Last night my band performed at a church Mardi Gras celebration.  The photo is a selfie of the group before our performance.  The faces in the picture represent friendships I would have never made if I hadn’t been willing to let go of disappointment, unhealthy relationships and an openness to changing how I should live out my values.  Today is the beginning of Lent, for those who practice this discipline. It is grounded in the suggestion that we should give up something as a reminder of the sacrifice made on our behalf.  Sometimes the sacrifice is for our own good, perhaps we’re striving to let go of something forever, while other choices are only temporary, through the duration of the six weeks before Easter.  For those who don’t observe Lent, (and even for those who do) I would advocate that we can practice the discipline of “giving up” at any time.  The struggle for me, of course, is discerning the difference between letting go of something because it’s a good thing, or hanging on to something, because it’s worth the cost.  But it’s a struggle that I’m willing to tackle … and the friends in the picture are a visible demonstration as to the positive results that can take place when I take that next step away from something familar but bad, and towards something new but much better.  Letting go can be very hard to do, but when you can find the courage to walk away, you will allow room for something even greater to take its place.
 

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