Letting Go

Ever hear a word or a phrase in your mind, one that seems to come out of nowhere? It usually comes when there isn't alot of "mind noise" going on. Like when we're quiet during our day or when we wake up or just before we go to sleep.

For the past few days I've been hearing "Let go."

I remember a phrase I heard a long time ago, "Let go and let God." Is this that? Or is this just plain old "let go" of something I'm holding on to?

One of those beautiful emails came yesterday--pictures, music, wise sayings--and two stood out to me. "Sometimes in the winds of change we find our true direction." The other: "Change your thoughts and change your world." Norman Vincent Peale said the second one.

I feel the winds of change--in our country, in the world, in the lives of people I love, and in my own life. The winds have been blowing pretty hard, at times knocking me off my feet. Thoughts swirling around in my mind. Fear. Regret. Sadness. And fatigue. Pure-d old tiredness. (Remember when we used to say pure-d? I have no idea how we spelled it.)

"Let go" makes alot of sense when I put it together with those thoughts. Changing them isn't easy, but I remember making a list a long time ago. On a grid I wrote down every negative thing in my life and balanced it with something positive. For years, every time I had a negative thought I'd replace it with a positive (i.e. Thank God all my fingers work right.)

When I read that the winds of change lead to a true direction, a flame of hope burns in my heart. The trees are thick in my forest, and I can't see beyond them right now. But maybe out there on the other side is a cool lake, a vast flower-filled meadow, something I've never imagined possible. That's faith to me, believing Someone bigger than I am has everything in His hands and is helping me to "let it all go."