Let Go

It has been a long week. Not in a bad way...just in a 'it has been a long week' sort of way. It is early Friday morning and I am very much looking forward to the weekend watching the boys play ball...celebrating a very special first birthday with some friends...and working on our fleece tie blankets on Sunday to be followed by a trip to the Winter Jam concert here in Wichita. I can't tell you how happy I am that it is freezing cold again so the title "Winter Jam" makes sense. (that was me being sarcastic). I am not a fan of the cold. Tuesday...the windows were open...and the warm sun was sweeping through my house. A day later...it is freezing and raining. My good mood went away as fast as the warm temperatures did! But...I have a pretty spectacular weekend lined up so we'll just go with it. David Crowder Band is coming to Winter Jam. You have no idea how excited I am to hear them. I love their music and their devotion to God. I am so looking forward to worshiping with them on Sunday evening. The very first song I added to my playlist was a David Crowder Band song. I learned of their music from the Bring the Rain blog that you can find on my blog list below. I heard it and was immediately moved by their songs. In other words...I...Can't...Wait!!!

In reading my devotion today, it talked about letting go of the kite when flying it becomes more work than fun. The author used examples of failed marriages and children growing up to turn their backs on their parents.

I am not going to lie. It scared me to death. I feel like Coach and I put more effort into the lives of our kids than we do anything else. And I do that because that is why I had them. To love them. To support them. To guide...guard...and direct them. And the author of the book is telling me that sometimes doing all that you can for your child, isn't enough. She had a son with an addiction problem. And she wrote...

"I knew I was on my last breath when I realized I was working harder for his sobriety than he was." (Ellen Miller, Inspiration for Girlfriends)

How many times in life do we do that? How many times do we work harder to find something in someone than they do themselves? And how many times must we look at our own hands to realize there are no scars there? We continually try to save lives. But God is telling us...that isn't our job. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said those words himself. Love your neighbor as yourself. No where in that text does it say...Save your neighbor. And loving your neighbor...spouse...child...does not mean letting it drag you all over life. It means love them no matter what. Love them in their weakness. And know that no one loves them more than God.

Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

One of my favorite David Crowder Band songs is How he loves us. I love the part in the verse that says...

He is jealous for me
His love's like a hurricane
I am the tree
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy
And all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful you are and how great your affections are for me

Oh how he loves us.

He loves us more than we can understand. And He loves the kite too. If we let go of the string...He'll take care of the kite in ways that He already has planned. And you'll feel the weight lift too. I hope I can remember to do this as my boys get older...letting go seems harder than hanging on. But I know with Him...all things are possible.

Have a blessed day!
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