Letting Go (Chapter 2)
Chapter Two
Letting Go
I remember, as a child, visiting my aunt and uncle at a lake resort they managed. During my visit, my brother and I caught a chipmunk and put it in a cardboard box in the car. On returning to my grandmother's house, I anxiously went back out to the car to check on the chipmunk. As I opened the door, the chipmunk was emerging from the box. I grabbed the chipmunk and it bit my finger. I grabbed it with my other hand and it wouldn't let go of my finger and I wouldn't let go of the chipmunk. My dad, on hearing me yelling, rushed from the house and slapped me until I let go of the chipmunk, which quickly ran away.
Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts and well laid plans, we find ourselves holding on to the very thing that is injuring us. That is when we must let go. If we don't, the divine law of cause and effect will slap us about until we submit or suffer the abuse of unwise persistance.
Patience, persistance, and practice are essential tools used to cultivate the seeds of faith. Impatience can be the cause of negative action. Doing wrong does not produce right results. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Eternal factors can also disable our efforts. Unless we can recognize the conditions affecting our difficulties, we remain helpless to correct or adjust. Pondering and prayer can help us reach beyond ourselves and discover the divine perspective which is truth. A friend or advisor can also serve to provide us with another viewpoint.
In map & compass field work, two seperate bearings can triangulate or cross each other at a specific point allowing for pin point accuracy. Too often we wander down the same road looking for solutions that may be past history or future opportunity. Without proper perspective, we remain confused and discouraged.
President Calvin Coolege said this about persistance: Nothing in the world can take the place of persistance. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than unsuccesful men with talent. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not! The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistance and determination are omnipotent. The slogan, 'PRESS ON', has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
When we are sure of our facts, faith in our decisions dictates followthrough. To persist when common sense suggests otherwise, may be folly. It certainly is a time to re-evaluate and draw upon the eternal perspective.
Practice works toward perfection. As we improve in both ability and agility, we find it easier to accomplish our objectives. Even with new obstacles to overcome, our skills and our resolve have increased.
Repitition is not necessarily practice. Repitition can dull the senses rather than enhance them. As with memorized or prescribed prayers, it often serves as an excuse not to increase or renew our efforts. It is better to work harder and lengthen our stride than to establish a comfortable rut. Practice, like exercise, has a stretch factor.
The motto's I learned in scouting: "Do Your Best!","Be Prepared", and "Our Best Today For a Better Tomorrow", have served to remind me that we must be constantly striving to improve and that there is no standing still. If we stop moving forward, we are soon left behind.
My Mormon pioneer ancestors were a hardy lot. These pioneers who crossed the plains in covered wagon and handcarts had to let go. Many fine items of furniture and a large portion of personal goods had to be left behind as conditions demanded sacrifice and hard choices. Many let go of loved ones who died or were buried on the plains. For many, letting go means starting over. Unless one is willing to let go of the prejudices and improper habits that load one down and put their perspective out of focus, they cannot move forward.
To be truly able to grasp eternal concepts, we must be willing to let go. We must unload our prejudices, misconceptions, stressed relationships, feelings of anger, guilt, and despondant feelings. We must recognize that to grasp the hand of God is to let go of the worldly things we cling to so comfortably. Letting go is a change of attitude more than a change of circumstances. It is an expression of faith.
In order for a hot air balloon to soar, it must have more lifting power than ballast. Unloading sandbags is needed in order for our aspirations to be achieved. There is altitude in attitude. Repentance, release, reform, and redefinition help us achieve realization, reality, and reward. As we dump the restraints of our mental outlook, our desire to look upward increases. As we allow ourselves to soar heavenward, we become increasingly aware of the eternal truths.
The apostle, James said it best when he said:
"Draw nigh unto God and he will draw nigh unto you." James 4:10
To begin to know the author and finisher of our faith is to begin to grasp the reality of divine truth, "...for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Hebrews 11:6
As we grasp the concept of eternal truth, letting go of personal restraints and doubts becomes an adventure in faith.
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