Letting Go and Holding On

“All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.”

            — Havelock Ellis

I absolutely adore being a parent. There is nothing more joyous to me than watching my daughter experience life. Of course, there is nothing more painful either. I want her to live every moment to the fullest and see all that life has to offer. On the other hand, I want to protect her from any harm that may come her way. I want her to grow into the beautiful woman God wants her to be and I want to shield her at the same time.

Unfortunately, as a parent, we know that is impossible. We cannot protect our children from all harm. We can certainly do our best, but at some point and time, we have to trust we have taught them the best we can and release them to experience life.

God does the same thing for each of us. He is the ultimate parent in that His desire is for us to never stray from the protection of His love. But, He knows we are going to do it anyway. Instead, He finds the balance of protection and knowledge by allowing us to find our way to Him. But, He never leaves us. He offers us wisdom and support, walking beside us along the way and presenting a gentle hand when we need assistance. His moments of joy do not occur when we life a perfect life; they occur when we fall and choose to follow Him again. They occur when He lets us go but we stay close by choosing to hold onto Him.