Holding on Loosely...

Have you ever felt like the little kid who is pulling and squeezing with all your might to hold onto a toy that your sibling is trying to take away from you?Unfortunately, as a mom of three children, I have witnessed this battle of the wills more often than I’d care to admit.
One minute, I can hear two very content little boys laughing and joking together and then, in an instant, I hear the screams and shouting of an all-out brawl;

“It’s mine!” “I had it first!” “Get your hands off of me!”

Uggh…

As much as I wish my children did not feel the need to resort to this type of behavior, I must admit that I completely understand it also (just don’t tell them that, please)!

No; I don’t still have fits and grab things out of my husband’s hands as I yell, “It’s mine!” but in reality this part of my personality still lays lurking deep within my soul.

Have you ever thought about how hard it is to give something up? Have you ever thought about those things that grip your soul and possibly keep you from being able to serve God whole-heartedly?

As I read the story of Moses and his Mother, Jochebed, one thought kept coming back to me. In this story, Jochebed has been given the rich blessing of being allowed to care for her beloved son despite the fact that he should have been killed at birth. And yet, the final sentences of the chapter break my heart:

Verse 10: “Later, when he was older, the child’s mother brought him back to the princess, who adopted him as her son. The Princess named him Moses for she said; I drew him out of the water.”

Oh, it truly tears at my heart! This amazing mother has sought out God and listened to His will and because of that her son’s life is spared. Not only did God spare her son but He even orchestrated it so that her son will grow up in a home where he will be very influential and privileged.

I imagine that in many ways, Jochebed must have felt the rich blessings that the Lord had showered upon her life, but I can’t seem to shake the fact that giving up your child can never be easy.

Wasn’t there a part of Jochebed’s soul that just cried out, “This isn’t fair!” “He’s my son…not yours!” “I’m the one who carried him and birthed him! I’m the one who held him as he cried! You can’t have him!”

And yet, we don’t see any of that emotion stated here.

My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Liberia, Africa where we had the privilege of meeting a mother who truly understands this mixed blessing. She stood before me with tears in her eyes as she told me how blessed she felt that her daughter had been given new life in America through adoption. As a family living in a stick shack with food very scarce, this mother was willing to do anything to see that her daughter had a chance at life.

She truly felt blessed to know how well her daughter was doing but her tears stemmed from a heart that was broken and hurting as she missed her baby. No matter how good she felt that her daughter would be given a life of safety and protection; it couldn’t change the fact that her baby was no longer with her.

When I look at the example that Moses’ mother set for us, I realize that there are many things in our lives that God may somehow ask us to ‘let go of’ for His sake.

Sure, it may not be as drastic as letting go of a child, but it’s possible that it could be. It may be a house, a job, a career. It may be pride, comfort or a relationship. It may be security, riches or fame.

What is it that God may be asking you to let go of?

As Helen Keller said, “I try not to hold onto things too tightly, because it hurts too much when God has to pry my fingers loose.”

Are you holding onto anything too tightly or are you living like Jochebed, knowing that when God says it’s time to let go; it’s time to let go.

Let’s pray for hearts that are willing to hold things loosely so that it doesn’t hurt when God has to pry our fingers open.