Learning to Let Go
By Justin March

“I’m gonna let it go.  Forgiveness is something we gotta know.  ‘Cause if you hold on
forever, it’ll hurt your soul.  That’s why I’m learning how to let it go.” 
Learning…..A song by Kane Brown

I was having a conversation with someone dear to me, and we began to converse
about the people who have hurt us in this life.  We shared stories about
the pain they inflicted, and we spoke about the hurtful words that were
expressed.  Hatred, anger, insecurity, hopelessness, and longing were some
common themes, and I could tell if the conversation continued, it would put me
in a bad place.

Yet, just as I was about to find a way to end this conversation, the next few
sentences were encouraging and uplifting.  We realized that we did not
have the power to change the hand we had been dealt, and we understood that
holding on to the past hurt us more than the people who had inflicted the
pain.  And by the time we concluded this subject matter, we learned that
all we can do is forgive those who have wronged us, try to rectify the
relationship, then let it go.

Sometimes we hold on to those past experiences way too long.  Maybe we
think things will work out in the end, maybe we think there are still lessons
to be learned, and maybe we have hope that the people who wronged us will
change.  But no matter the reason we hold on, if we continue to carry the
negatives we have experienced in this life, they are going to weigh us down.

So, I am learning to forgive and let go.  I am creating a world where my
family and friends do not need to be haunted by the past.  And I am using
the Bible, sermons, devotions, and music to bring positive, uplifting messages
to those that need to hear them.  This does not mean my past will be
erased, nor do I want it to be, but it does mean I can use it to ignite the
flame for a more positive life.

I pray you find the time this week to think about what’s weighing you
down.  If it is an estranged relationship, I hope you find the courage to
try to rectify it.  If you feel stuck by pain you have inflicted upon
another, ask for their forgiveness.  And whether you feel heavy from work,
family, friends, sickness, church, media, or anything else this world puts on
your shoulders, I pray you find a way to let it go.