Recently I shared a story about a favorite vase of mine that had mysteriously broken. Yes, I was disappointed, but I had no other recourse than to just "let it go". Since then I have learned a significant lesson. The lesson again of letting go and not holding on.
Although I think that I am not a materialistic person, I constantly find myself connected to the things in my life. The material items are not really worth much monetarily speaking. (most have been purchased at really great deals at thrift stores or yard sales) but rather in the emotional attachment that I place on them. Perhaps that comes from my family losing all our possessions in a house fire when I was a child. Or perhaps it comes from the joy I get in finding the "perfect" accessory to complement my living space. You see, I consider my home "my nest" ~ it is my haven, my sanctuary. My home is a reflection of who I am, an extension of myself. When I come home after a long day, I find comfort & rest there. I live on very limited means, so the items I do have, eventually find a special place in my heart, because I know that I normally could not afford to purchase them at regular prices. It's a challenge to me ~ sort of "the look for less". When I get my home decorated the way I like it ( and on my shoestring budget) it makes me happy.
Okay, that being said, the vase that broke was special to me. However, After I had disposed of it, I let the attachment to it go. (it's very hard holding on to pieces of broken glass) Then an interesting thing happened the next week.
Let me back track for a minute. For several months I had been searching for an aqua blue glass vase for my bathroom. (to me this is known as "the quest"). I had even found the perfect vase, but it was way out of my budget. So one day I was at a Coldwater Creek (definitely NOT my budget) and happened to come across a beautiful aqua blue glass vase that was marked down from $40.00 to $5.99. Whoa ~ I asked the clerk to check the price again, yep $5.99. Of course it now graces my bathroom.
But here is the lesson I learned thoughout this whole experience: sometimes we have to let go of what we think is the "perfect" thing so that God can provide us with something even more special. We can do it gracefully, or we can do it kicking and screaming along the way. I am even taking it one step further; what else am I holding on to that I need to release? I am learning to create "breathing room" in my Life. From my closet to my bookshelves, from my dishes to my accessories, I am lightening up my life and making room for the blessings to follow. If my cup is too full of what I don't need (or what really doesn't serve me anymore ) how can I be blessed?~ I'm learning to let go of it. I am finding just like the vase, things are miraculously appearing in my life. it's a process that I find amazing, yet simple.
There is an old story about a monkey who is trying to get a banana out of a narrow vase. The monkey puts his hand into the vase, grabs the banana, then tries to pull it out. He can't pull his hand with the banana in it, back through the opening of the vase. Impatient, he struggles to win by holding on to the banana that much harder. Of course the moral of the story is that in order to have the banana, he has to release his grip on it. (if he tips it just right, it may fall out) I am learning to loosen my grip in a lot of areas of my life and it is refreshing. I still have a long way to go, but I know that I am learning new things everyday. Most important is that I learn that God is the one in control of my life.
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