Hold Loosely

“Hold loosely to the things of this life, so that if God requires them of you, it will be easy to let them go.” Corrie Ten Boom

I love this valuable, yet difficult, piece of advice. I have had experience with this first hand and it was far from easy which tells me I had a mighty grip on things!. I had certain visions and dreams for my children that I had determined would be the right path for them. In addition, I had attached my worth and value to their ‘performance.’ When my firstborn went down the path of drugs I entered into battle with myself over attempting to control her life. This refusal to ‘let go and let God be God’ lasted six years into this eight year nightmare. It wasn’t until year six that I finally died to the vision and dreams I had for her. Little did I know the powerful manner in which God was going to use my daughter. When I finally let go and ‘left her classroom of learning’ for which God had enrolled her, I was able to claim the peace of God apart from my circumstances.

‘If we will die to the vision that is in our heart, and allow the Lord to have everything in our lives, He will not only give us that thing that He promised, but it will be better than we could have ever imagined in our own minds.’ Seven Keys, p. 222. Our daughter’s life is so different than what Bruce and I had ever planned but her life carries such a powerful hope and testimony for others.

Today is her birthday and my thankfulness for her life is parallel by my overwhelming gratitude for God’s faithfulness. We cannot know what God is going to do in the lives of our children but we can know that everything He brings into their life is to develop them for His purposes. Once we really enter into Jesus Christ we own His peace, His sustenance and His deliverance. Therefore, ‘Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Jesus Christ.’ It is through the last part of this verse that we can accomplish the first part of this verse.