Let Go, Let God

I have heard the phrase "Let go, let God" more times than I can count. It usually comes n handy when I'm anxious or worried about the outcome of something. However, I learned in recent weeks that is also applies to a crucial aspect of our lives: forgiveness.

Long story short: at my former job, I was faced with a coworker using some offensive, racist language. To say that I was upset was an understatement While it is not the first time I have faced such things, something about this incident rocked me. Maybe it was the nonchalance of the offender, coupled with the lack of a sincere apology. Maybe it was the slow and seemingly cavalier response of upper management to rectify the issue. Most likely, it was the combination of the two, coupled with having to work in proximity with the offender without warning, placing me in the position of having to maintain my professionalism in the midst of an uncomfortable situation.

I was livid.

Thankfully, I have two amazing friends in particular who helped temper my rage with wisdom (thank you, Tosh and Dom). When I relayed my issue, both of them pointed out the obvious: forgiveness was non-negotiable. As upset as I was, and rightfully so, holding on to my indignation was only going to hurt me in the end. Tosh said "Forgiveness is not at all about condoning their actions or welcoming this person back into a friendship. It's about letting go of the hurt so that you can heal."

It took a fair amount of time and a LOT of prayer, but I was finally able to let it go. In fact, I was even able to see how plain-old ignorance played a part in all of this, and how oftentimes a lack of education and awareness can cause any one of us to say or do something that could hurt another. More than anything else, I was reminded that if Jesus was willing to die and is willing to continuously extend grace for my own mistakes, surely I can extend grace for this one time.

Once I came to this resolution, a funny thing happened. The very next day, a human resources manager sent me a message inviting me to interview for a new job that would grant me a significant increase in pay and a schedule that was more aligned with my desires. I went for it, and I got the position.

Last week Tuesday the coworker was held accountable and ultimately terminated. This Saturday, I accepted my new position and handed in my resignation.

All this to say: had I kept holding onto the hurt, my hands would not have been open to receive what God was working out for me.

Much of the time, our blessings are on the other side of forgiveness. We are so bent on holding onto our frustrations and our feelings that our hands remained closed and unable to grasp the favor God has for us and we miss out. However, when we let go, we let God do the work within and through us, enabling us to cross over into a new chapter that we couldn't have even begun to imagine.

So, what are you holding onto that is taking up the space that is meant for God to occupy? Whatever it is: Let go, let God, and watch what He places into your open arms.