Choices — Holding On or Letting Go

We drift between holding and releasing. Whether holding on or letting go, each one contains a challenge, joy, and even pain of its own.

Yesterday, a gentle breeze skipped multihued leaves along the narrow, dirt path in front of me. The leaves danced with ease and freedom — loosed from the limb’s static grip. They had lived obscured by the glory of others so similar and yet different from themselves. I smiled as they bounced freely this way and that. Oh, the joy of letting go. Once held high, they eventually found refuge cradled beside the rocks, where soon enough they would become less so that a new generation would be nurtured by their sacrificial falling.

Today, the wind and rain pelt against the half naked branches with fierce tenacity, violently forcing the fragile leaves from their secure placement. Each tender leaf desperately tries to hold itself in place a little longer. Their efforts prove futile as the powerful wind whips them high only to slam them to the ground, tearing their tender edges.

Do you feel it, too! This both glorious and sad dilemma between holding on and letting go. Sometimes indescribably pleasant; other times agonizingly painful.

Quickly one season ends and another takes it place. Life contains both miniature and mammoth forms this cycle: embracing a newborn and celebrating a convocation; the first job, then retirement; the strength of youth and the fragility of the aged; beginning and ending only to begin again.

Only God could design something so wondrously excellent. Our human nature, selfish as it is, either resists or welcomes the cycles.

“Since all these things are on the verge of being dismantled, don’t you see how vital it is to live a holy life? We must be consumed with godliness while we anticipate and help to speed up the coming of the day of God …”
2 Peter 3:11-12 TPT

Temporary

My husband and I have developed a new catch phrase to help us navigate through a difficult time “It’s only temporary!” We remind ourselves, again and again, of the temporary nature of lifem while choosing to set our focus on what is eternal. Today, we celebrate the little victories. We made it through this step, this challenge, this moment! Whew!

No one wants to hold on to the agonizing pieces of life. These we fling off without remembrance or regret.

Other wonderfully fulfilling seasons, we release with great reluctance and then only as a sign of trembling trust in our Sovereign God whose ways are perfect and whose heart is pure. We cling to last breaths, ending life with a tear. We cherish fleeting moments with family and friends, sharing words and hugs of affection before long goodbyes. The transient nature of these and many other moments pierce our hearts like sharpened thorns.

“Why does it end so soon?” we ask — audibly and inaudibly.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen, for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:17-18

Holding on and letting go coexist within the temporary nature of all we know on earth. But a new day soon dawns! A day of eternal peace, rest, and unspeakable joy, where the things worth holding on to will remain forever and those worth letting go of will be forgotten.

Eternal

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4

People appear almost transfixed with wanting to know and prepare for the future. Yet, their concept of future encompasses only fleeting earthly things. A much greater and eternal reality waits beyond this earth and its trappings. Jesus spoke about these two eternal realities of heaven and hell.

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus minced no words describing the torturous existence of those who will spend eternity in hell. God designed hell as the final end for demonic forces who rebelled against Him and expend all their energies destroying the immaculate goodness of all He loves and created.

“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 13:40-43

Jesus also assured all those who chose to make Him the Lord of their lives of their welcome in Heaven. By submitting ourselves to live for and with Him, He guarantees us of the wonderful blessing of being with Him forever — free from fear and pain. Some people may view Heaven as a life-time achievement reward for good works and worthy efforts. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9

Both holding on to the things that matter and letting go of the things that don’t comes incredibly easy when we rest in Jesus — in His grace and indescribable gift.

Choosing

Whether our days are sunny and warm or the winds and rain beat against us, we have the opportunity right now to choose our eternal destination. God doesn’t send someone to Hell or Heaven. We each make that choice.

Confessing Jesus as Lord and following Him is the only way to Heaven. This truth goes against cultural norms and popular thinking.

“Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life — to God — is vigorous and requires total attention.”
Matthew 7:13-14 MSG

The Bible calls the path to Heaven narrow and difficult and the road to Hell broad and easy. Oh, but how marvelous we discover this narrow path with Jesus to be. Even though few people choose the narrow path of trusting in Jesus, Heaven opens wide its gate to everyone who will come.

So, I ask. What am I (or we) holding on to that keeps us from committing our lives to Him? What are we afraid to let go of?

May we each ponder these questions and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to reveal to us those often hidden things that keep us from more fully trusting and resting upon Jesus. May we release whatever He reveals to Jesus, like leaves dancing upon the ground of new-found faith and freedom. May we shelter ourselves close to the Rock of Christ, resting in the eternal provision He has prepared for us.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 NLT

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