RELEASE

There is an old saying that I've heard about let go and let god. The idea being to turn one's problems over to the Lord in faith.

I think as a guideline and principal it is a good teaching. And it would probably be more practical if we could honestly control our emotions.

Some people have more capacity to do that than others. Still the truth is, at least from my experience, is that letting go is never as easy as any of would like.

Which brings up the problem of forgiveness. We are told to forgive. True, the one ingredient missing in that concept is the idea of the person truly seeking forgiveness.

And whenever people seem to address the subject of forgiveness they never actually deal with that aspect. Plus there is the difficulty that scars seldom are that easy forget.

I don't think that the Lord was being unrealistic. I know he wants us to show mercy and compassion and then in return he will grant the same to us.

But what is gained from going through the motion of claiming you are over a problem that really still burns in your gut? Hiding the truth behind a false smile will never honestly improve the problem.

For me the one thing that haunts the most is when somebody wrongs me and then I never see any sense of justice occur. They just don't end up suffering for their sin. It always makes the aspect of letting go so much harder from my point of view.

What does help for me is time. A season beyond and some change in my own life and what seemed to be a killer problem is just another memory.

Perhaps we move ahead, perhaps we don't. We might rise above the moment or we may linger at some post of self inflicted punishment.

What will never bring release is claiming you are experiencing it when you aren't. That might impress, but inside where stands watch over our reality, we know otherwise.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to, as with some many things, being a issue of faith. To truly trust to the Lord that he will dispense justice in due season. And to be willing to also let his spirit to our pain, not with some illusive or vague claims of perfect release, but rather the joy of being touch in a genuine way.

It means being oneself with the valley. Not to chase a wind or act like it is never there, but to cling instead to the path we know we must follow.

Along the horizon yet to be is the real release. If we don't get lost by directions we prefer to follow rather than the ones in our heart we know we must accept.