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INTRODUCTION - LETTING GO

This book starts and ends with a couple of verses that have become near and dear to my heart, Ephesians 3:20-21.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

There were lots of things that died with Alan when he passed away over two years ago. Lots of dreams and plans we had in our heads and held in our hearts. Letting go of all of those things was hard, gut-wrenchingly hard. But just like those verses say, God has done more than I could even dream of or imagine after I was willing to let go of them. Here’s one example.

Alan was going to breed the horse that he rode to a jack so I could experience a foal. Well, that was a dream I had to let go, or so I thought. You see, we had five horses at our place when Alan died unexpectedly. Knowing I couldn’t take care of them, I found them new homes. It was hard, but sometimes life is just like that. The horses weren’t the only things that I couldn’t take care of. I had to have others help me with maintaining the farm. After a year of others helping, I began to realize that there was more that I was going to have to let go of. The Lord helped me little by little to let go of things I no longer needed or could manage: household items, farm equipment … “stuff.”

Then as another year neared the end, God asked me to give up something I was not ready to give up, the home Alan and I shared. It didn’t make sense to me that the Lord would ask me to let go of a perfectly good home where so many beautiful memories and hopeful dreams were shared, yet the Lord was making it clear to me that He was asking me to let go of it. However, He didn’t just make it clear that I was to leave our home; He made a way. Through nearly a two-year process, in His perfect timing, God helped me let go. Once I did, everything started moving quickly. From the time I verbalized that I was willing to let go of the farm until God led me to find my new house, close on it, and move in -- was less than two weeks. That’s fast … that was God!

When I moved into my new house in May of 2018, the Lord blessed me beyond all that I could ask or think of, just like Ephesians 3:20-21 talks about. In the field behind the backyard of my new house were horses! Not just full-grown horses, but foals, too! And not just one horse, but 22 horses, including 10 foals!!! Alan wanted me to experience the babies, and God saw to it that I did. Here’s the best part. I can love on those horses and feed them carrots at the fence and then when I’m finished, I can go inside. I have all the benefits without the cost or responsibility that goes along with owning horses. At our farm, I had to go outside if I wanted to see the horses and call them up from the field to the barn lot. But at my new house, I can see them even when I’m inside. From my kitchen window … horses. From my dining room windows … horses. And from my living room and bedroom windows … horses!

But in order to receive this blessing from the Lord, I had to let go of something I loved, our home and our farm. Only then could the Lord bless me beyond what I could ever have imagined. When I was thinking and praying about what I wanted in my new house, horses were never on the list. I never dreamed they could be. Only God knew how much my heart ached over having to find new homes for our horses after Alan died. Even though I knew it was something that needed to be done, it still broke my heart to let go of them. When I moved into my new house it was as if God was saying, “Daughter, these horses are My gift to you.” The Lord not only provided for all of my needs with my new home, but He also gave me something that I dearly loved, and those horses are my daily reminder that letting go of whatever God asks of me is always in my best interest. I might not understand the “why” behind it, but I know that God knows me better than I know myself and He cares about every single detail in my life. Every day God is wanting to show me something new through the writing of these daily devotions. Even though letting go has been hard, He has been right there with me, guiding and directing my steps. My prayer is that as you read these daily devotions, they will help you trust God more so that when He asks you to let go of something, even if it doesn’t immediately make sense, you will say yes to His request.

Love and prayers, Linda