Letting Go

I am amazed at how I find myself holding on to certain things that represent the past. Even as I try to live forward, I still hold on to little things that bring back memories. There is nothing wrong with this as long as you know that you are doing it and don’t allow it to keep you from pressing into all the things that God has for you in the future. For example, I probably have over 20 Peachtree Road Race shirts. Now if I had all 30 that I have run, then that would be a collection. But having just 20 or so, what good is that? I never wear them and they are in boxes in the basement.

Oh the basement, now that is another area where I hold memories form the past that I will never use. They are just taking up space. I believe that basements in the natural represent things that go on with us in the Spiritual. We allow ourselves to be cluttered up with stuff. That stuff keeps us from pressing into our destiny because it weighs us down. Right now in the natural, my basement contains remnants from another life. A few things I want to keep and are important, but much of what is down there has no real meaning anymore. It needs to be cleaned out and taken to where it can do some good. But that takes time and energy. I haven’t made the time because I hate cleaning basements. I think it goes back to when I was a little boy. I remember when mom would send me down to clean the basement and not give me any direction on what to do with all the stuff.

That’s how I feel now with my basement. I know it needs to be cleaned out, but I don’t have anyone to give me direction, and I have a hard time getting rid of anything. I need someone who is ruthless to help me get rid of the “valuables” that have long lost their value. Isn’t this a lot like life? Don’t we have a hard time letting go of things, even after they have lost their value? I go downstairs and look around and immediately get overwhelmed. I see so much junk and yet I see things that others might want, and I wind up doing nothing. Well I have to do something; I am running out of time.

But there are things that I enjoy in my life that I need to let go of also. My life is changing and I have to clear out some of the old to make room for the new. Old things are comfortable and hard to get rid of. Sometimes the new can be a little intimidating. For instance in the long term, where are we going to live? Changes are coming, and I have to be ready to embrace them. This is one box that I am comfortable in, but I have to take my own words to heart. I have to be ready to break down the walls and do what we hear Holy Spirit saying.

So it’s time to let go of even more things. Some are very hard to let go of because they are so a part of me. But really all of this, this material world is temporary and I just really want to be in His will, no mater what. This is between Holy Spirit, and me and I just want to make sure I am obeying His voice and not what I think is right and necessary.