Letting Go of the Rope

There is a special peace that comes from letting go of the rope. Letting go means giving up control. We live in a society where letting go is frowned upon. It can be seen as a sign of weakness. In my younger years, I thought that letting go meant failing. It meant I was not carrying my own weight. It meant giving up independence.

It is a scary feeling holding on to the rope and having that sense that you are slipping. I could hear a voice inside of me telling me to let go but I never listened to it. I knew I was slipping. As the end of the rope got closer and closer, I prayed harder. When I got to the end of the rope, I knew something was going to happen. I could listen to the voice inside of me telling me to let go or I could keep hanging by a thread. I could also feel all the burdens on my shoulders that made holding onto the rope more difficult.

The day I invited Jesus into my heart is the same day I finally let go of the rope. It is strange to share this because it does not seem logical. It is as if someone was knocking on the door to my heart but the door was locked. I was the reason the door was locked! The only way for the door to unlock was to let go of the rope. If I had known this sooner, I would have let go of the rope a long time ago.

Letting go of the rope does not mean that your troubles suddenly disappear. It means that someone else is in charge. It means that you have peace inside of you that brings comfort and joy.

Today's blog got interrupted by a conflict between two of my teenage children and my wife asked me to intervene. As I was talking with my children, I kept thinking about today's message. Instead of showing anger, I told my children that I was the problem. I asked them how could I expect them to have a clean room when I am such a bad example. I shared with them my commitment to be a better example and gave them a day off from chores. Then, I gave each one a hug and asked them to forgive me for anything I did in the past that hurt them. I repeated this with my wife and I could see that special look in her eyes as I promised to be a better husband and father.

My teenagers were on the floor laughing. They asked me what web site I visited that caused this behavior. I told them I let go of the rope and that even though I am the head of the household, God is really in charge.

Watching my children hug each other and asking one another for forgiveness brought tears to my eyes. This moment would not have happened if I was still holding on to the rope.

I am going to spend the rest of the day cleaning and organizing. While I am dragging boxes around, I will be thinking of the Cross that Jesus carried for me so that I could have eternal life. It will make my load seem lighter. I will also thank my Savior for repeatedly knocking on the door to my heart and for encouraging me to let go of the rope.

If you find yourself at the end of the rope, let go. Invite Jesus into your heart. Today is a great day to unlock the door and let Him in.