Letting go is a major issue to many of us. Why are we so desperate to hold on to things that cause us pain and suffering? Why do we have a difficult time letting go? All our life we are asked to release ourselves from things. Letting go begins at birth when we leave our mother’s womb. We must let go of the familiar and launch into what will be our life. We are asked to let go of what we perceive are parts of us. From weaning off the breast or bottle, to toilet training and learning to share our toys as toddlers, to asserting and claiming our independence as teens and young adults, our human development is a continuous journey of learning, letting go, and transformation. These early lessons are the foundation for the bigger acts of letting go; the ones that carry meaning, the ones that have to do with how we think about the world and ourselves, the ones that make a difference in how we live with other people. Let us learn from the following narrative inspired by the writings of T. D Jakes.

I have learned that there are people who can walk away from us. When people walk away from us, let

At some point we just have to let go of what we thought should happen and live in what is happening.

 them walk   away.  Let us not try to talk another person into staying with us, loving us, calling us, caring about us, coming to see us, nor staying attached to us. Our destiny is never tied to anybody who left. People leave, it doesn't mean that they are bad, it just means that their part in the story is over. And we have to know when people's part in our story is over so that we don't keep trying to raise the dead. We have to know when it is dead. We have to know when it is over.

Let us stop begging people to stay. Let them go!  If we are holding on to something that does not belong to us and was never intended for our life, then we need to let it go!  If  we are holding on to past hurts and pains ...let it go!  If someone cannot treat us right, love us back, nor see our worth...let it go!  If someone has angered us ... let it go! If we are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge .. let it go!

If we are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction ... let it go!  If we are holding on to a job that no longer meets our needs or talents ... let it go!

If we have a bad attitude...let it go! If we keep judging others to make ourselves feel better... let it go!  If we are stuck in the past and God is trying to take us to a new level in Him... let it go!

If we are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship....let it go!  If we keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...let it go!  If we are feeling depressed and stressed .... let it go!  If there is a particular situation that we are so used to handling ourselves and God is saying, "take your hands off of it," then you need to... let it go!  Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing to us...let it go!  Get right or get left .. think about it, and then let it go!!