In my last blog I invited you to overcome the hopelessness of this world and walk through the Door of Hope and undergo the great metamorphosis that transforms you from a caterpillar (Wasteland Pessimist) to a butterfly (Garden Optimist).  With this new Optimism and the Garden senses that come along with it, your eyes and ears are now open to see and hear life as God sees and hears life. All good so far, right! But there’s a big ask; a request from God for you to fundamentally change the way you trust and live. Sounds a bit overwhelming?  Perhaps, but for those who want to live life to the fullest, read on.

You see, God’s request is both simple and profound and sounds something like this, “Let go of my hand and let me take hold of yours!  I’ll lead, you follow!” Wow! Did you get the magnitude of that statement!  In spiritual terms, God is asking that you submit to His will rather pursue your own.  Why you may ask?  Because He knows that being led by His wisdom, love and goodness will result in His best life possible for you in the Garden instead of your most self-centered life possible in the Wasteland.  To double down on that point, rather than being led by your own misguided feelings and the false promises of this world, God invites you to follow Him and experience the abundant life.

Let me tell you a story from my childhood that may help shed some light on this decision to follow rather than lead. As a little boy I remember good times going to the mall with my family. These were special occasions and I always had hopes of picking up a new toy or two; yes, even as a young boy I had my own agenda. My plan was set; upon entering the mall (I remember it being cold those days) I would take off my coat and hand it to my Dad. I then focused my sights on making a mad dash to the toy store. I was getting ready to lose my mind and needed to shed as much clothing as possible to lighten the load! My next move was ever so predictable. I would reach out and grab my father’s hand, and with all the might I could muster attempt to pull him toward the toy store. I was convinced that everything I needed to live the good life was in that place but also knew that I needed my Dad to pay for the toys. So I would grab his hand by placing mine on top of his.  This position was critical as it would give me leverage and authority over him – albeit a false sense of one. But my Dad knew better and the real reason we were at the mall. It was the beginning of the school year and I needed some clothes. What happened next was remarkable and symbolic of how our Heavenly Father relates to us. My Dad had me let go of his hand and took hold of mine, placing his on top of mine.  We then began to walk together, with him leading the way.  All I had to do was hold on and follow.

Isn’t the way I treated my Dad the way we tend to live life and treat God!  We gravitate towards grabbing hold of His hand and trying to drag him to the various “toy stores” of our life. But God knows best and asks that we let go of His hand so He can take hold of ours and lead the way!  Our job is to just hold on and follow. Amazingly, this positional change makes all the difference. It’s the essence of living a life not guided by our will, but His! As scary as it may seem in the moment, letting go and holding on is the precise act that brings ultimate peace.  For most of my fifty plus years on earth I tried to achieve my best life possible by doing things my way.  But as soon as I let go of God’s hand and gave Him mine to lead, His best life for me began to take shape. It will be the same for everyone who has to courage to surrender their will to God’s.  He will take us to places we never thought we’d go, conquer fears we never thought we’d overcome, and experience joys we never thought we’d experience! So consider, even now, letting go and holding on to the One who knows best and can lead the way.  He’s your Heavenly Daddy after all!

Dario L. Perla