As we open our arms and give up grasping, here are some prompts for our prayers and thoughts.
- Let go of perfection. You will make mistakes. Your house won’t always be as clean or organized as you like. You won’t keep up with friends as much as you’d prefer. Your parenting and grandparenting will always leave something to be desired. Your projects will always need a bit of improvement.
- Let go of goals. Remember the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, make plans.” It’s fine to set goals, but it’s detrimental to beat yourself up when the goals aren’t met in quite the way or on the timetable you had planned. Often we don’t reach our goals because life’s interruptions prevent us from doing so.
- Let go of loved ones. People are entrusted to you—that doesn’t mean they are your possessions. They make their own choices, go their own way, and—yes—they suffer calamity and sadness no matter how much you love them.
- Let go of the happy life. If happiness is your focus, you will obsess over all the ways in which you are not perfectly happy. Happiness happens as we engage life, practice gratitude, and move forward, confident of God’s love.
- Let go of the victim life. No one gets the life she had imagined. Marriages fail—or don’t happen at all; jobs disappear; the body ages; children disappoint you; you or a loved one becomes gravely ill; you can’t afford what you need for your home; a friendship disintegrates; you have too many responsibilities. Be honest in your prayers, but refuse to remain a victim. Get up every day and do what you can.
- Let go of the obligation to please God. The problem with this sense of obligation is that we end up trying to fulfill it on our own. Every day, tell yourself, “I am enough, right here and now. I am open to God’s grace and will add to that my God-given gifts and efforts. But God already loves me—in this situation and with whatever emotions or imperfections I’m living. Because of God’s great mercy, I am enough today.”
Blessings upon you, dear loved one of God.
Do you have questions about the upcoming season of Advent? Share your questions, and I’ll answer some of them on the blog in the coming weeks.
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Great maxims Vinita and “well said.” Vera
Thank you. Simple truths but ones I often forget.
i always try to leave everything in God’s hand and life always turnsout OK.
Thanks for the reminder, especially with the holidays coming up. God will take care of everything as long as we ask.
Love this to remind me to Let Go it is not a perfect world ..just to enjoy one day at a time …thank you
Whoooaaaaa!!! That was a bit full on.
Let loved ones go? Yes, I understand the idea that we should entrust them to God but, at the same time, isn’t there a prodigal son parable in here somewhere?
Great to have you back Vinita
Vinita, thank you,
Great reminders.
Number 5 really speaks to me. My expectations about others, let me down time and time again. Until I learned to accept what my kids could give and not how I wanted them to. I am a happier person daily counting my blessings/trials.
# 6 Open to God’s grace, Wow! Is that all?
Corin
I love number 6. Thank you.
I really needed to hear number 6 today. Did not realize I was treating it as an obligation and being controlling until I read this. Thank you!
Your messages are so inspiring. Thank you for making me think about things I should remember.