Letting Go...
Our church does a corporate fast at the beginning of every year. So when I sought the Lord on what he wanted me to do, I felt impressed to do the Daniel Fast for the entire month of January.
Around the 25th day of my fast, something broke inside of me. I realized that I was holding onto too much physically, mentally, and emotionally. I decided to purge as many items from my home as possible. I started in the kitchen and gave away four moving boxes full of items we never use or touch. I moved on to the kids' room and got rid of hundreds of toys. I made my way through their clothing and gave away six bags of kids' clothes, blankets, and bed sheets we had never used. I purged the guest bedroom and every closet. I couldn't get rid of things fast enough. I'm pretty sure the workers at Goodwill thought I lost my mind.
Even though it felt great to get rid of excess items in our home, I woke up one morning and cried out to Jesus, "Lord, I am nearing the end of my fast, and instead of spending time with you, I am obsessed with clearing out my home!" Instead of condemnation, He gently whispered back to me, "Jennifer, you getting rid of items in your home is allowing you to make more room for Me in your life." Wow! Every time I feel like the Lord will give me a good mental spanking, He shocks me with His overwhelming love and grace.
Something shifted in my spirit during this fast. Jesus opened my eyes to the POWER of letting go, but He started with physical items in my home. He showed me the bitterness and resentment I was holding onto, and He showed me fear that needed to go. There is so much more the Lord wants to prune and refine, but I am so grateful for the experience of the January fast.
One of the hardest things we faced in January was the passing of our 13-year-old labrador, Lilly.
Nate and I welcomed her into our home days after we got married. She was with us through every season, every house move, and with the birth of each of our boys. Losing her was like losing a piece of my heart.
But the Lord showed me that it was okay to grieve the loss of our sweet Lilly, but I needed to let the sadness go and trust in Him. Sometimes, actually most times, we don't like change. We don't like loss, and it is never easy to let go. But letting go is what usually catapults us into new seasons and matures us in Christ.
Here at the Beautiful Basics, we want to encourage you to ‘let go and let God’. He will take you from one season into the next, and you will bear much fruit in the process.
Much love,
Jenn Simmons
