I was sitting in a service last Sunday morning with a very stirred soul…trying to make sense of my present situations and wondering what the future will hold. I began to be drawn in by a pastor telling his story. He talked about his first few years in ministry and he quoted John Maxwell with something I will not soon forget:
“Take hold tightly, let go lightly.” This is the essence of non-identification. It is loving fully in the moment and being prepared to release at any moment.”
My hands and mind had been gripping tightly around my present/future and they did not want to release what little control they had. In doing so…I had become fixated and closed to what might happen today…tomorrow…and in the future.
As I heard this quote, it sparked something inside of me as I realized I had been finding my identity in the sense of my control. I had not been looking for the blessings of the moment, the people around me or the journey that God has me on. I was gripping on to confusion with all I had…no wonder I could not feel settled.
I decided at that moment to simply open my hands. I did so physically in the service as the pastor was talking. Trying not to draw too much attention to myself…I kept them low while promising God I would hold it lightly.
..all of it.
I would take this day as a blessing and love the moment I am in…more importantly…I would love the people around me. Holding things lightly does not mean being extremely laid back or lazy. For me, it means that I take extreme purpose in the moments that I am given and cherish the fact that that what I have is simply a gift.
I pray today that you can begin to take your situation lightly. Treat it with gentle care as if it were a precious gift and gain the perspective that your identity does not come from your future, your past or your present. Your identity comes from the love of God and how it shapes your life.
Blessings. Jesse.
Jesse Peterson 