Letting Go

Heartbreak has the influence to destroy a person. Losing someone you love can take away all the reasons to go on living—it can most certainly feel that way. Until you start seeing the real reasons to go on living, then you get back on track and become motivated to go on living as God leads.

When your mind tries to keep holding on to something, it keeps playing back the memories over and over. This is what depression is, the mind playing back memories—good or bad—that happen in your life to the point that you become numb to the life around you. So by holding on to those memories, you are stuck in a prison within your mind. A prison of your creation and the only way to get out of that prison is to start letting go.

Let go of the past and let go of your mistakes. Start learning from those mistakes, and let go of the person(s) no longer in your life. The following are a few thoughts on letting go:

• To let go does not mean to stop caring.
• To let go is not to deny, but to accept.
• To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.
• To let go is not to cut myself off, but it is the realization I can't control another.
• To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.
• To let go is to admit powerlessness, but means the outcome is not in my hands.
• To let go is not to try to change or blame another, but it's to make the most of the situation.
• To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
• To let go is not to arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to make their own choices.
• To let go is not to be protective, but it's to permit another to face reality.
• To let go is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead to search out your own shortcomings and correct them.
• To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.
• To let go is to fear less, to love more, and trust God fully.

We've all lost loved ones, either through death or the ending of a deeply meaningful relationship. Whatever the case may be, at times we feel as though we are left hanging, unable to function and move ahead into the future when we experience this form of loss. Although it was by God's grace that we are able to finally move on, there is a need for closure. For many people, closure is very important, and almost essential, as part of the letting go process.

Without being able to move forward, we risk the chance of missing out on something that could truly change our lives—blessings from God! It takes time and it takes wanting to move on. The survival rate is high! Knowing that God is in control, whatever happens, it will be okay. The hardest thing in life is letting go and trusting the One who knows for sure. You will be astounded at the amount of and depth of love that God has placed in your heart and has for you. Just when you think you have lost the ability to love again, God reveals to you a far greater love than one could ever imagine.