Holding Fast: Letting Go and Allowing God to Guide Toward Peace

How do we respond in the unexpected disappointments of life? We must learn to let go of our natural responses. Holding fast to God, while He guides us towards peace. 

We find by losing. We hold fast by letting go.
We become something new by ceasing to be something old.

Frederick Buechner

Letting go, so we can hold fast? This is a paradox I can definitely relate to recently…

The Unexpected

Five months ago, when my husband and I made the decision to transfer our lives from Louisville, Kentucky to Wake Forest, North Carolina, we could not have foreseen the crazy chaos that accompanied the last week leading up to our move. Nor could we have known that we would be attempting to outrun hurricane Florence as we drove across the mountains of West Virginia.

Believe me, by the time we stopped to sleep a few hours into the journey, our excitement of living closer to our grandchildren was momentarily overshadowed by crushing weariness. Holding fast to God still seemed like a given…

Who knew that it would take an extra U-Haul truck to hold forty-six years of marriage? (What’s the meaning of purge, again?) Who knew it would take 4 days and exhausting our friends and family to load the two trucks?! (And that doesn’t count the 2 weeks of packing.) Who knew the moving truck would bust a hole in our driveway, which delayed loading?

…In Disappointment

Thankfully, we were unable to see the little foxes that were waiting to eat our vines, (Song of Solomon 2:15). Otherwise, the discouragement may have thwarted everything…because the mini-catastrophes didn’t stop once we arrived. Due to Lady Florence, the banks froze all mortgage funds to the Carolinas. Canceling the close of our new home and delaying the moving trucks 5-7 days.

Up to that point, I had been taking it all on the chin, staying positive, grateful for God’s goodness and our friends, thankful for safety. For some reason, the last news update about the moving truck triggered a short-lived meltdown for me and the angry tears flowed. (My daughter-in-law said it was about time; she was getting worried about me NOT having one!)

Holding Fast By Letting Go

All of a sudden, I realized how easily my heart pulls away from holding fast to my Provider. Especially when my plans continue to go awry. While the Spirit of God has matured me to be able to handle some hiccoughs and delays, through many years and painful situations, this was one blow after another. I had reached my limit, or as Psalm 107:27 honestly states, I was at my wit’s end. I had to let go of my idea of what should happen so that I could hold fast to my Lord and to whatever He had planned for us. His vision is clearer than mine.

Hear me, I believe God understands when I feel disappointment or sadness or anger. He isn’t intimidated or surprised by any feelings I may experience. In fact, He created all of us with feelings. However, when I use those feelings to express doubt concerning my Father’s provision for me, then I am questioning His character, which is sin on my part.

When I grip my plans tightly in my fists, insisting they happen according to my timetable, rather than holding fast to Him, I am heading for my own personal chaos. However, if we will cry out to God from the midst of our disappointments, foiled plans, storms of life, etc., He will rescue us…time and time again.

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

Psalm 107:28-30, NIV

God will Guide

I could weep when I slip away and sit before my Father, meditating on His goodness during this move…during this small piece of our journey. No, as of this writing, we still haven’t closed on our house – and there is no set date. Our furniture remains sitting on a truck in a hub somewhere. Our lives are in limbo. But God will guide us to our desired haven. He will receive glory, honor, and praise in the midst of it- not because I have been a super-Christian (if there is such a thing)…

But because He is a Supernatural God.

When we grip our plans too tightly, rather than holding fast to God, we are heading for chaos. However, if we will cry out to God from the midst of our disappointments, He will rescue us...time and time again. Click To Tweet