Let It Go

Let it go. We hold fear and worries tightly to our chest, stalling us in our progress. We think that if we hold on to our worries and fears tightly enough, we'll protect ourselves from the disappointment and pain attached to the things or people we worry about. Inevitably, being afraid of uncertainty has the reverse effect and we end up more hurt. The only way to really move forward and not continue to hurt our spirit (the very thing we are afraid to do) is to let the fear and pain go by giving it away to the Lord. Unwillingness to forgive others usually stems from a fear of getting hurt again. We insist upon clenching tightly to that fear, perpetuating the hurt. An unwillingness to forgive oneself usually stems from a lack of self-trust; fear of not being up to task. It stops us in our tracks. Relationships wilt for the lack of life-support, which is trust and forgiveness, and confidence in oneself wanes.

What are we afraid of? Rejection, the future, disappointment, misunderstanding, etc… Our mothers were right when they said, “that’s life.” It is full of the things we are afraid of and we are consistently faced with seemingly unfair circumstances. If we are strong enough to choose faith instead of fear, progress and happiness become our path and we are saved from our cowardly plight.

We must decide to ask for strength again and again as we experience new, foreign, unexpectedly devastating experiences. If we do this, the outcome will be the same…we will be in a forward motion rather than a spiral downward.

How do we let fear go? We use our will to believe that He will carry the burden that it may be light (Matt. 11:30). We humble ourselves to believe that there is more to our life and plan than meets our current perspective (Isaiah 55:8). He is over all and all things will work together for our good (D & C 98:3), even when we think we have screwed it all up (D & C 10). It will, in fact, work itself out. It usually isn't in our own time or in the way we think it should go, but hearts will be softened, understanding will come, and strength will be endowed. Just let it go and believe.