Let it Go

Recently I was playing ladder ball with my three year-old granddaughter. The game has two golf balls connected with a string. Holding one ball, you swing it and then let go, letting it fly, hoping the bola will wrap around one of three ladder rungs. 

My granddaughter had a hard time getting the idea of the game. She would swing the bola but would not let go. The ball on the end of the string would come back and hit her in the face. I tried to explain she had to open her fist and let go of the ball, but she was determined to hold on to it! So I began singing her favorite song from the movie Frozen,“Let it go, Let it go…” and encouraged her to be like Elsa and let the ball go, let it fly away. Her brain finally made the connection and she was thrilled. With perfect timing, she opened her fist and let the ball fly through the air. 

As I watched my granddaughter, I thought to myself, what are the things I am not “letting go of”? Am I being stubborn or selfishly clenching my fist, determined to do things my way, instead of humbly asking God what He would have me do? What weaknesses does my mind want to hang onto that keep hitting me in the face, because I just haven’t made the connection yet, that I must “let it go”?

As I watched her, my mind wandered back to a time many years ago when we moved from Idaho to Utah. Three of our five children were still living at home. We knew moving would be hard for them, and suggested they could find strength from a scripture story in a book of scripture called, The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. In the year 600 BC the prophet Lehi was asked by the Lord to move his family from Jerusalem to an unknown land, a continent away. Lehi’s son, Nephi, prayed for the Savior’s Atonement to strengthen him through this very difficult journey. He was able to “let go” of his beloved home in Jerusalem and do God’s will, no matter how difficult. But two of Lehi’s sons chose not to seek God’s will or help. Left to their own abilities, they struggled to “let go” of their past life and their temporal treasures in Jerusalem. Refusing to “let it go” caused them to complain and cankered their souls. It destroyed them as individuals and split up their family. 

Fortunately our children did find strength from this scripture story and were eventually able to let go of their beloved home in Idaho and make a new home in Utah. However, years later when difficult things began to happen to my loved ones, I was tempted like Lot’s wife, to look back. I briefly wondered if we hadn’t moved, would this be happening?

I find I sometimes have to remind myself of the dangers of looking back. I remember how the Lord commanded Lot’s family to not yearn or look back at Sodom and Gomorrah. It wasn’t just a suggestion or a good idea. The Lord knew looking back and refusing to let go would bring sorrow, disappointment, and eventual destruction. His commandment was a manifestation of His love for them. In family relationships, we all have times when we must apply this same principle. We must be willing to let go and trust the Lord’s goodness and desire to bring great things to pass in our lives. Hanging on to the past can prevent important experiences and wonderful blessings from coming to us. The Lord’s way is the way of peace and joy and the key to successful marriages and families.

What are you not “letting go of”?

I invite you to pray and ask God to help you know what it is you need to let go of so that you can do God’s will and experience more joy and peace and strengthen your family relationships.