Let It Go

“How do I let this stuff go?” The lady asked me as she looked at the piles of things accumulated through the years situated around her room.  Her eyes glared at me seeking for an answer, but I couldn’t speak or figure out what to say. It’s as if she asked me for my social security number and address; even worse, to clean up the mess myself. Then a response came from the other side of the room. “Just a little at a time.”

Just a little at a time. Was that really the right answer?  For someone who is in a mountainous pile of degradation, a little at a time means the mess will stay forever. For someone whose relationship has just taken a turn for the worse, a little at a time means you’ll never love again. For someone whose bills are longer than their income, a little at a time means your living on the streets.  In today’s time, do we really have ‘time’ for a little at a time? How can you find the least bit of hope in a little step if you are running from a lot?

After a while, I began to think about the time my brother and I ran an obstacle course.  He was more than a tad out of shape, and I could tell that he was tired. I asked if he was ok.  He said, ‘Sis, I’m just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.’ Though it took him a long time to finish, it was just one step at a time. I never left his side; and, others along the way encouraged him as he took step by step by step by step.  And maybe that’s the key to letting things go. You just have to keep moving.

Every step you take should be the next step to the finish line. Your past, your present, nor your future is your finish. You must continue to take each step towards the greater established for you, even if your past catches up. God will send people to walk alongside you the whole time; and others to encourage you on your journey. As you keep one foot in front of the other, over time, when you look back, the past won’t be there; your present will replace your past, and your future will be your present.

Your feet may get weary, but faint not in sowing small seeds of your dreams in spite of the mess around you. For you shall, in due time, reap a bounty such that your past hurt, failure, mistakes, or [insert here] won’t matter in the end.

“I’m never going back; the past is in the past! Let it go” ~Idina Menzel-aka Elsa