Holding on and Letting Go...

We spend a lot of time telling our children, "Don't let go!" As we were walking through Six Flags yesterday, I can't tell you how many times the question, "Does everyone have a hand?!" came out of my mouth.
Basically, everyone is supposed to be holding someone else's hand (or onto the stroller) as we maneuver through crowded areas. There is something about holding on to each other that makes us feel safer. It's easier to stay together and stay on task when we join hands and hold on tightly. (It's also comforting to have others at your side, like our amazing Mimi who came along with us yesterday to help with the kids.)

But with as many times as I told my kids to not let go yesterday, I also found myself telling them the exact opposite! Like the moment when I was trying to sit Evangeline onto the carousel horse, but she clung tightly to her momma out of fear of the unknown. She squealed in delight as she was in line watching each horse go round and round and up and down, but she cried in fear when she was given the opportunity to experience it firsthand. In those moments, all she wanted was for her momma to hold her closely so she could watch it all unfold from afar.

Lucy, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. There is no ride she doesn't want to try. She raises her arms in abandon as she screams in excitement through the unknown twists and turns of each roller coaster. She has excitement for the unknown, with an inner confidence that she is still safe in the hands of the operator of each ride.

And then there is my sweet Gabriel. I don't think I will ever forget how terrified he once was of everything about Six Flags. He wanted nothing to do with any of the rides or characters. He still wants nothing to do with the ginormous characters (notice his absence from the photo here with Tweety Bird--he was hiding behind my back and holding on tightly to my legs!), but he was eager to ride as many rides as he could. Slowly, but surely, he's learning to let go and experience things. 

And then there's my Annie Beth--so eager to go on all of the rides, but not quite big enough yet. She's still growing, and it is difficult to not grow impatient in the process. (Animal crackers help though;-) 

Lastly, there's the momma--me. I used to ride every single ride that I could get on! I loved the thrills and the excitement, but as I've gotten older, I've found that most of those circular motions just make me feel sick! Lucy told me yesterday, quite sincerely, "Momma, I feel bad that you don't get to ride very much because you have to stay with Evangeline." I responded, "It's okay, baby. This way, I get to watch all of your reactions as YOU are on the rides, and that's just as thrilling for me as if I were getting to ride it myself!"

You see, life is full of so many seasons. And with a large family full of kids at various ages, the Lord is really working on my heart on what it means to truly embrace each of those seasons...

My incredible "Tiny Toller" (Evangeline) is at the season of learning to let go. Yes, I want to hold her tightly and keep her safe, but I also know there are so many amazing things she can experience if she will just let go and try. Her fear often overtakes her willingness to try, but I continue to be patient with her, knowing that she will eventually learn. Our Heavenly Daddy does the same with us. He loves us and encourages us through our fears. God is so ever patient with us as we learn to trust Him, which is the place Lucy was at yesterday at the amusement park. She had confidence in who was in control, and she was simply there to "enjoy the ride." God so desires that for His children--for us to trust Him and let Him take control so that, like Gabriel is learning, we can experience all of the amazing things He has for us when we are willing to let go! But then there are seasons like my Annie Beth is in. Those are the seasons where we so desperately are ready to move on, but God is telling us "not yet." He is still molding us and growing us so that we can be prepared for exactly what that next step is that He has for us. He wants us to trust that HIS timing is always best, and if we will let Him, He will give us the grace to handle that time in the waiting room. 

Just like my kids had to be reminded yesterday to "hold on" AND to "let go," this roller coaster of life we are all on is much the same. Once we are finally willing to grab a hold of His goodness, we don't want to let go--it becomes comfortable and safe. But the Lord reminded me this morning that we aren't meant to hold on forever. Just like my kids find it hard at first to grab each other's hands, we often think that holding on for very long is the hard part. However, it's often the letting go that becomes the most difficult task. What will happen when we let go? Will we fall? Will we forget? Will our hands be filled with something uncomfortable? Or what if it's a season that our hands are going to be completely empty? Just as I ask my kids to trust that my requests of them are to keep them safe, God reminds me that I need to trust Him to do the same. Do I believe He is going to take care of me and that His best is truly THE best? 

The Truth is that He IS a good Father! He can do nothing less than what is the very best, and He invites us to experience that with Him, just like sweet Mimi accepted our invitation for a day of Six Flags fun.Whether we are waiting for our turn to come, nervously stepping out in faith to the unknown, cheering others on from the sidelines, or in the midst of enjoying the ride, God simply asks us to be willing to follow Him. We don't have to fear or hold tightly to the past--we can eagerly anticipate what He is doing now and wants to do in the future! (And I think it's okay to munch on a few animal crackers in the meantime;-)

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you...forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a NEW thing! Now it Springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:5a and 18-19)