Just Let It Fall

How beautiful it is to watch the leaves change colors during the fall season. The autumn colors peak in the Fall months and are initiated by cooler temperatures. The vibrant colors are spectacular and often spark an excitement for the upcoming holidays.

The other day I was outside tidying up my yard. I absolutely love gardening and find it very therapeutic, especially if I am stressed. There have been times when I named weeds for various stressors in my life before yanking them out of the ground. It makes me feel like I have accomplished something big, having dealt with whatever was bothering me. Praise the Lord!

If you read my book, you realize that I have various areas in my yard where I like to talk to Jesus. I enjoy sitting on my wooden swing, or on a blanket on the ground, or just simply sitting on the doorstep. Recently, I sat on the porch and watched as the fall leaves tumbled to the ground. One by one, they floated softly to the ground. The fall season provides an opportunity for tree and plant renewal by letting go of its dead leaves or petals. New growth can only occur when the dead sections detach from the living whole.

As I watched the leaves falling to the ground, I compared it to how we should get rid of things in our life that are dead. We are blessed to live our life to its fullest most of the time. However, there are some things that attach to our spirit and drain us, both physically and mentally. Maybe it is your job, or dealing with a difficult family member or friend, or maybe it is managing those crazy thoughts that constantly swim around in your head.  In today’s world, the devil is looking for ANY and EVERY opportunity to steal your joy and peace. We have to be vigilant and watchful, protecting our mind, body, and spirit.

God prompted my heart as I sat there and watched the leaves fall to the ground. Once the leaf has fallen, you do not see the trees bending down to pick it back up. The trees do not panic when losing their dead leaves because they know it is part of the process of healing and growing. And the trees do not beg for the leaf to reattach itself for fear of loneliness. Nature understands God's process of growth.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that we must go through the process of letting go of the dead pieces in our life. Dead means that something is no longer growing or thriving. What things in your life are you trying to hold on to, knowing that it is dead and draining you both physically and mentally? In Ecclesiastes 3:6, we learn there is a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep, and a time to throw away. In Philippians 4:6, Paul reminds us to not be anxious about anything. He tells us to pray about every situation and present our concerns to God.

Now that sounds easy. However, letting go can be hard. I think relationships can be the most difficult because we feel like we can fix the situation, so it will not hurt so badly. We must realize that we cannot fix everything, but God can. But to allow Him the opportunity to fix it requires us letting go of it, completely. Do not keep dragging it back to fix because you think He is taking too long. Sometimes, God uses situations to get our attention and refocus us toward His plan for our life. In Psalm 46:10a, God tells us to be still and know that He is God and that His plan and timing are perfect. We just have to trust Him.

Another thing that is difficult to let go of is unhealthy habits. Habits can form so easily without us even realizing it. The habit begins as a choice to do something and when repeated often, becomes a habit in our normal routine. To avoid getting caught up in unhealthy habits, we must step back and look at the way that habit makes us or others feel. If it is hurtful, then let it go. To let go and die to that habit, we must first recognize that the habit is bad and does not give life. Then we must set boundaries to help us avoid continuing that action. Set reminders that refocus your way of thinking so that you do not act on that bad habit again. Retrain your brain.

One of the most annoying and troubling ‘dead’ pieces in our life involve the constant swirling of bad thoughts in our minds. Every day the devil tries to remind me of my past failures. On some days, he attacks my spirit in a way that depresses me. I do not purposefully think these bad thoughts, but the devil knows exactly where and how to upset me. How does the devil muddy our minds? He looks for any weakness in our lives and for any opportunities to intrude his thoughts into ours. For example, if I watch a movie that has violence in it or if I listen to music that plants seed of despair in my mind, I find myself drifting to thoughts that make me feel defeated.

The devil is just waiting for us to let our guard down so he can get access to our spirit. When that happens, I have to quickly realize that the devil is sneaking in again to cast doubt and sadness in my mind. As soon as I recognize that happening, I instantly whisper the name of Jesus, reminding the devil that I have been forgiven and that he cannot mention that thought anymore! I let that dead leaf fall immediately! Whispering the name of Jesus quickly redirects my stinking thinking to a God who can conquer all things. Psalm 94:19 reveals that when anxiety is great within me, His consolation brings me joy. When the devil tries to alter your way of thinking, remind him that you are a child of God, and that he has no jurisdiction in your spirit. 

I shared all that to simply say, when things trouble you or try to steal your joy, LET IT FALL. Remove the dead from your branches. Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly on Him. Give careful thought to the paths of your feet and remain steadfast in His will for your life. Be kind and compassionate to one another and to YOURSELF. This week, find your dead leaves and let them fall swiftly to the ground so that He can quickly renew your spirit and mind.