In my Home Touched business and ministry, we focus on getting organized and learning to let go of the “stuff” that can enslave us rather than serve us. And sometimes it means asking myself the tough question, “what do I need versus what do I want?” Please keep in mind that the “stuff” I am referring to is much more than just our material possessions, it is also mental, emotional, situational, spiritual, physical, and relational.
Letting go is a daily ongoing process for me. And the area where I have been most recently challenged with it has been in launching this blog. Truth be told, I recognize that I am in a lifelong recovery process of letting go about the worry that relates to what others might say or think about me. In fact, when I am helping others to get decluttered, which I define as the letting go process, it means that I also let go of hiding the real me, and admit to my own struggles as I help you to let go of yours. It is one thing to know that I am not perfect, but when I share and expose my imperfections with others, I am being authentic. I do this because I want to convey the message that you and I are on the same playing field and we are more alike than different. I am not better than you and you are not any better than I.
So, in working with one of my clients and friends, Dan Busken (who gave me permission to use his name), I shared my concern about the blog. I was most burdened by how the blog would communicate my performance as a writer. This was the honest and raw struggle that was brewing inside of me because I could not control the constraints that go with writing, designing, and formatting a blog. I do not have the control that I have in a Word document where I am the final writer, formatter, and designer. Consequently, all these questions were hitting me! How many mistakes will there be? Who will judge it? Who will criticize it? Did I say too much? Did I say too little? Who will like it? Who will not like it? Will I be accepted? Will I be rejected? Talk about the clutter I created from the build up and pile up of all that “stuff’’ that was going on in my head and in my heart!!! But in my spirit it was a very different scenario. All I heard was this quiet and simple response, “This blog is not about you and your performance. It is about Me and the message I want others to get through you!” That response gave me the peace I needed to launch the blog, and let go of all those concerns that wanted to bring me down.
In preparing to write this particular posting, I prayed and asked the Lord to provide me a Scripture that would affirm this theme of letting go. I also wanted to know if my concerns about blogging were to be shared as examples of my own need to let go. I no sooner made that request and a text came through from Dan. It simply said, “Galatians 1:10. Good for new bloggers like you.” I was taken by the “quickening” of God’s response and I was surprised that it was Dan who was giving me the message. This was the first time that he had ever sent me a Scripture and the reason for it. With excitement, I ran to my Bible and opened Galatians 1:10. Here is what it says, “Obviously I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” These words were written by the apostle Paul, and what a man to identify with. Every time I see the beautiful damask border of the blog site I am reminded of Paul, and here he is again! What God had been speaking to me in His Spirit was now matched up in His Word. I had my green light to move forward.
When I saw Dan and thanked him for the text, he said, “I apologize for the delay. I wanted to send this to you a week ago!” I responded, “It may have been your 'delay' but it was God’s perfect timing for me!”
Blogging is a new venture for me: new learning skills are yet to be developed. And as I continue to discover what I still need to let go of and what I still need to hold on to, I am thankful that my relationship with God is renewed and refreshed with every day. In letting go, it may not be what I want, but it is what I need!
I love sharing the handouts that I have received over the past 11 years. They come from people who have taken my clutter healing classes. The handouts reflect what people have taken away from the classroom and what they came back wanting to share. Here is an example of one that was written anonymously about letting go.
Letting go is a daily ongoing process for me. And the area where I have been most recently challenged with it has been in launching this blog. Truth be told, I recognize that I am in a lifelong recovery process of letting go about the worry that relates to what others might say or think about me. In fact, when I am helping others to get decluttered, which I define as the letting go process, it means that I also let go of hiding the real me, and admit to my own struggles as I help you to let go of yours. It is one thing to know that I am not perfect, but when I share and expose my imperfections with others, I am being authentic. I do this because I want to convey the message that you and I are on the same playing field and we are more alike than different. I am not better than you and you are not any better than I.
So, in working with one of my clients and friends, Dan Busken (who gave me permission to use his name), I shared my concern about the blog. I was most burdened by how the blog would communicate my performance as a writer. This was the honest and raw struggle that was brewing inside of me because I could not control the constraints that go with writing, designing, and formatting a blog. I do not have the control that I have in a Word document where I am the final writer, formatter, and designer. Consequently, all these questions were hitting me! How many mistakes will there be? Who will judge it? Who will criticize it? Did I say too much? Did I say too little? Who will like it? Who will not like it? Will I be accepted? Will I be rejected? Talk about the clutter I created from the build up and pile up of all that “stuff’’ that was going on in my head and in my heart!!! But in my spirit it was a very different scenario. All I heard was this quiet and simple response, “This blog is not about you and your performance. It is about Me and the message I want others to get through you!” That response gave me the peace I needed to launch the blog, and let go of all those concerns that wanted to bring me down.
In preparing to write this particular posting, I prayed and asked the Lord to provide me a Scripture that would affirm this theme of letting go. I also wanted to know if my concerns about blogging were to be shared as examples of my own need to let go. I no sooner made that request and a text came through from Dan. It simply said, “Galatians 1:10. Good for new bloggers like you.” I was taken by the “quickening” of God’s response and I was surprised that it was Dan who was giving me the message. This was the first time that he had ever sent me a Scripture and the reason for it. With excitement, I ran to my Bible and opened Galatians 1:10. Here is what it says, “Obviously I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” These words were written by the apostle Paul, and what a man to identify with. Every time I see the beautiful damask border of the blog site I am reminded of Paul, and here he is again! What God had been speaking to me in His Spirit was now matched up in His Word. I had my green light to move forward.
When I saw Dan and thanked him for the text, he said, “I apologize for the delay. I wanted to send this to you a week ago!” I responded, “It may have been your 'delay' but it was God’s perfect timing for me!”
Blogging is a new venture for me: new learning skills are yet to be developed. And as I continue to discover what I still need to let go of and what I still need to hold on to, I am thankful that my relationship with God is renewed and refreshed with every day. In letting go, it may not be what I want, but it is what I need!
I love sharing the handouts that I have received over the past 11 years. They come from people who have taken my clutter healing classes. The handouts reflect what people have taken away from the classroom and what they came back wanting to share. Here is an example of one that was written anonymously about letting go.
To “Let Go” Takes Love
To “let go” does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To “let go” is to not cut myself off, it is the realization that 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, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To “let go” is to not try to change or blame another.
To “let go” is not to care for, but to care about.
To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To “let go” is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to
affect their own destinies.
To “let go” is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.
To “let go” is not to deny but to accept.
To “let go” is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead, to search out my own shortcomings
and to correct them.
To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and
to cherish myself in it.
To “let go” is not to criticize and regulate everybody but to try to become what I dream I
can be.
To “let go” is not to regret the past and not worry about the future: it is to celebrate the
“now.”
To “let go” is to die to our old selves in order to live in the Other.
To “let go” is to not see life as an end but as a beginning.
To “let go” is to empty out our humanness making space for the Divine.
To “let go” is to fear less and to love more.
It is facing the unknown by trusting.
To “let go” does not mean to stop caring, it means I can’t do it for someone else.
To “let go” is to not cut myself off, it is the realization that 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, which means the outcome is not in my hands.
To “let go” is to not try to change or blame another.
To “let go” is not to care for, but to care about.
To “let go” is not to fix, but to be supportive.
To “let go” is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.
To “let go” is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow others to
affect their own destinies.
To “let go” is not to be protective, it is to permit another to face reality.
To “let go” is not to deny but to accept.
To “let go” is not to nag, scold, or argue, but instead, to search out my own shortcomings
and to correct them.
To “let go” is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes and
to cherish myself in it.
To “let go” is not to criticize and regulate everybody but to try to become what I dream I
can be.
To “let go” is not to regret the past and not worry about the future: it is to celebrate the
“now.”
To “let go” is to die to our old selves in order to live in the Other.
To “let go” is to not see life as an end but as a beginning.
To “let go” is to empty out our humanness making space for the Divine.
To “let go” is to fear less and to love more.
It is facing the unknown by trusting.
-Anonymous-
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you in letting go. He is like the wind. You can not see Him, but you can see His moving power!
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