But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the ones who lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go.
(Let It Go by Tenth Avenue North)
I. LOVE. this. song. When I heard it for the first time, I actually almost started to cry. You see, I've always struggled to let the little things go. For example, one of the hardest things for me is to have plans cancelled that have already been set. I get so excited about those plans ahead of time, and when I find out they are cancelled or need to be cancelled, it really bothers me. I get really disappointed, and then I just feel (unreasonably so) that the person who cancelled on me just doesn't care about me or love me.
I am also a person who feels like I need to control every aspect of my life to be happy. I tend to plan way ahead, get projects and assignments done early, keep everything pretty orderly, etc. When I lose that control, I tend to lose it. I get really frustrated or angry (which isn't common for me), and just want to shut everyone out until that feeling goes away.
That's why I absolutely love Tenth Avenue North's song: it reminds me of everything God has promised me in life as long as I trust Him enough to give up all of those things I try to keep under control myself. I mean, if I'm fighting for control of my life, how is God supposed to work in my life? After all, it's me who keeps shutting Him out. It's scary to let go, but it's worth it. There have been times I have been able to let go, and when I have, God has blessed me in more ways than I could have ever imagined.
I encourage everyone else to let go of something they're too afraid to lose control over. Is it a past relationship, trying to plan every last detail of your life, or maybe even not being able to move past of the little disappointments in life? Let it go. God will fill that empty hole you feel inside you. But only if you let Him.
You can only understand what I'm talking about once you've taken that leap of faith. Trust God. I promise you'll see what I mean :)
Friday, December 30, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
One Mouth
Do you want to know the most important skill you can ever learn to better your communication with others?
Listen to what they have to say.
Seems simple, and yet it's such a hard thing to learn to do properly. I thought about this today when I was having a conversation with a family member. I found myself listening for a while, but then my mind started drifting off. I totally started to miss something really important he was trying to tell me.
Not only is it hard for me to concentrate sometimes, but I also struggle with listening more than I speak. My pastor sums up what God calls us to do perfectly: "You have two ears and one mouth." Therefore,He wants us to LISTEN to people. Hear what they have to say. Love them by being there for them.
James 1:19 says, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger."
God is calling us to listen to others. If we let our minds wander in a conversation or feel the need to speak over another person when they're talking, we are not fulfilling our duty as a fearful child of God. It's not an easy thing to fix, but we have to try.
Listen to what they have to say.
Seems simple, and yet it's such a hard thing to learn to do properly. I thought about this today when I was having a conversation with a family member. I found myself listening for a while, but then my mind started drifting off. I totally started to miss something really important he was trying to tell me.
Not only is it hard for me to concentrate sometimes, but I also struggle with listening more than I speak. My pastor sums up what God calls us to do perfectly: "You have two ears and one mouth." Therefore,He wants us to LISTEN to people. Hear what they have to say. Love them by being there for them.
James 1:19 says, "Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger."
God is calling us to listen to others. If we let our minds wander in a conversation or feel the need to speak over another person when they're talking, we are not fulfilling our duty as a fearful child of God. It's not an easy thing to fix, but we have to try.
No Fear
Yesterday, I sat down with my dad in a nice breakfast restaurant to spend some quality time with him. I haven't seen him in 3 months, considering I was studying abroad in Ecuador. I don't think I've ever appreciated eating breakfast with my dad as much as I did for that one hour yesterday. It was so surreal to me that, after being halfway across the world for so long, he was now tangible, eating an omelet right across the table from me. I was eating breakfast with my dad, and I savored every second of it.
As many people do, I often get stuck in a mindset of always looking ahead to the future. At some point in our conversation at breakfast yesterday, my dad started talking about how he used to set ridiculously high goals, but even once he finally achieved them, he still wasn't happy. He told me he finally realized it was because he used to have the mindset that he couldn't be happy until he had reached his goal. But why? Why can't you be happy NOW? You are the only one who can choose to enjoy your life. Your life is the one you are experiencing right this second, not in the past or the future. The past is merely memories, and the future only contains a period of time that hasn't even come into existence yet.
I think it's so easy for people to forget that there is a here and now. God created us to live for this moment! We need to seize the day, give it all we've got, live it for HIM. We have to make the best out every situation. We are the only ones who can choose to love the lives we were blessed with. When we live for the day that hasn't come, we lose the time that was just sitting in the palm of our hand. There is no use worrying about the future; God has it all under control! That's why I named my blog after my Proverbs 31:25: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."
God created me to live in the moment with Him. That means I can laugh and enjoy life right this second, without having to fear what He has in store for me in the future.
As many people do, I often get stuck in a mindset of always looking ahead to the future. At some point in our conversation at breakfast yesterday, my dad started talking about how he used to set ridiculously high goals, but even once he finally achieved them, he still wasn't happy. He told me he finally realized it was because he used to have the mindset that he couldn't be happy until he had reached his goal. But why? Why can't you be happy NOW? You are the only one who can choose to enjoy your life. Your life is the one you are experiencing right this second, not in the past or the future. The past is merely memories, and the future only contains a period of time that hasn't even come into existence yet.
I think it's so easy for people to forget that there is a here and now. God created us to live for this moment! We need to seize the day, give it all we've got, live it for HIM. We have to make the best out every situation. We are the only ones who can choose to love the lives we were blessed with. When we live for the day that hasn't come, we lose the time that was just sitting in the palm of our hand. There is no use worrying about the future; God has it all under control! That's why I named my blog after my Proverbs 31:25: "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."
God created me to live in the moment with Him. That means I can laugh and enjoy life right this second, without having to fear what He has in store for me in the future.
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