GROWING SEEDS: "Just Let Go"

A few months ago, I saw a commercial for a company called "Let Go".  It showed a guy hanging off a cliff, but wouldn’t let go of a bowling ball.  Another guy is running from someone chasing and shooting at him, but he is dragging a BBQ grill with him.  The concept behind "Let Go" is to show people who are in situations where they need to drop something in order to survive, but don't want to let go of it.  The company, LetGo.com, is an online marketplace for those of us who need to sell those things that drag us down and keep us from living well.

I chuckled when I saw it cause so far in the first 30 days of 2020, I have let go of my "house", my "furniture", my "anxiety" and even my "expired-food-in-the-pantry" just to name a few.  I feel like I’ve lost 50 pounds having let go of the things that have weighed me down for so long.

But we're also in a season of "Letting Go" as we approach the Season of Easter.  Many Christian churches celebrate what is referred to as a Lenten Season that encourages letting go of "something" during the 40 days leading up to Easter.  As someone not raised in this tradition, its been confusing to me when I would hear of friends giving up things like chocolate, ice cream or wine...but not margaritas....no, never margaritas, for the sake of Lent.

“What’s the point of Lent”, I kept asking them.  "It's Tradition" was their standard answer. 
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And as I’ve studied this long-time "tradition", I’ve discovered that Lent is less about tradition or our dietary habits and more about letting go of.....Ourselves.

We need to let go of those things that interfere with the communication lines between God and us....you know, that static in the line between the Creator and His created (that's you and me, btw) and not the mere tradition of giving up “something” for Lent.  Is chocolate really interfering with your relationship with God?  If so, sell it on LetGo.com.  Does beer or wine keep you from loving your neighbor?  LetGo.com can help!  But don't give something up if it’s not what is causing the static-in-the-line between you and God.  If it is just about self-improvement, then it’s just about us, and not about God.  How about instead, we give up grudges and vengeance and meanness and pettiness and rudeness?  Now that’s a Lent tradition God would be proud of!

Our life is more than just the things we haul around.  We must "Let Go" of ourselves....in order to survive.