Let Go And Let God
When I was little, one of my favorite foods was buttered noodles. Even though they contained minimal ingredients with little to no flavor, I could never refuse the opportunity to eat it. As I grew older, I started trying new foods and expanded my liking for more than just bread, cheese, butter, and chicken nuggets. Today, one of my favorite noodle dishes is pad thai.
I remember trying it for the first time. I was having lunch at a sushi restaurant with someone I look up to. I wasn’t a huge fan of sushi at the time, so I simply ordered a bowl of fried rice. The person I was with was baffled. “What? Megan, you can’t come to a restaurant like this and just order fried rice!” she said. She went on to ask me what foods I like and don’t like. She concluded that I would like the pad thai with chicken, so I agreed to trying it. I was first hesitant about the peanuts, lime, and assorted veggies mixed with noodles, but it ended up being one of the best foods I had ever tried. I was so glad I listened to her.
Now why did I just tell you guys that random story? Because it reminds me of the change a lot of people I know are going through right now, including me. A lot of us are in the college stage or nearing it. I think of the plate of buttered noodles as childhood: simple but filled with potential. And by the time we’re adults, life looks more like a plate of pad thai with all of the added ingredients. But how do we get to that point? I’ve learned it’s all about listening to God’s will for your life and seeking to follow it.
With life comes a lot of opportunity. You know how my mentor urged me to try the pad thai because she knew I would like it, based on what she already knew about me? I think of God giving us opportunities in the same way. In a way, He says, “Hey, I know you like where you’re at right now (like eating buttered noodles and fried rice as a child), but I have something in store for you that I know you’re going to love and will add a lot of flavor to your life.” God-given opportunities can make us hesitant at first, but if we listen it is well worth it, and we’ll be so glad we did.
But sometimes these changes and opportunities come with hard goodbyes. They don’t have to be forever goodbyes, but at least things or people we’re used to being around won’t be around as much anymore. With change like this, I’ve heard society use the term “learning to let go.” Like we’ve held on to these things so tightly to the point where it’s hard to let things change. Which makes sense, but I think there’s one more missing step: to give all of those things to God. I’ve learned that it leads to an indescribable peace about leaving that past and stepping into an unknown future.
Something I’ve learned just recently though, is that it’s also important to let go of things we hope for in the future. For a lot of students, we hope for things like getting into that college, getting into that sorority/fraternity, getting those grades, dating that person, you name it. And we hold on to it so tightly by trying everything in our power to make it happen. But when we do that, we don’t let God intervene which causes unrest and unnecessary pressure on ourselves. Having a good balance of self control and God’s control is key. I heard on a podcast recently that “We’re called to be co-laborers with Christ, but we can only control the things that we can control. If we lay around in our parents’ basement all day, nothing is going to happen in life. So we can still allow ourselves to have passions and put ourselves out there, but the Lord breathes on it” (“Happy and Healthy” podcast by Jeanine Amapola if you want to check it out).
So how do we let go of our past and future and give them to God? I’m going to talk you through a process someone taught me. Hold your hands out in fists in front of you. Imagine you’re holding anything you need to let go of. Then open your hands and close your eyes. Pray to God and tell Him that you want to give Him your whole life and whatever it is you need, and that you truly trust Him with it. Then open your eyes and look at your hands. That is the way we should hold everything in life: keeping it close but also open for God to use however He needs to.
For college kids like me, keep everything with an open mind, especially the future. I know the unknown can be scary, but I’ve learned that sometimes it’s better to ask God for wisdom and peace instead of clarity. You know that indescribable peace I was talking about earlier? I don’t think it always means having clarity about something, but rather being content with the current situation we’re in and trusting God with it. So I hope this helped you like it has helped me. If you have any questions about this or any prayer requests, my messages are always open <3
Jeremiah 29:11 — “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Romans 8:28 — “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 — “And he has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” … Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Psalm 46:10 — “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”