Prez Says: Let Go

The Prez Says… One quiet afternoon an 18-month old girl was playing under the kitchen table. She suddenly let out a piercing shriek, followed by louder, wilder, eardrum splitting screams. Her mother dragged her out from under the table and looked her over. Her tiny fist, clenched in a death grip, was swollen twice its normal size. As her fingers were pried open, a wasp flew out. She had been stung multiple times because her instinct was to clutch her hand tightly because of the pain. She had not yet learned that wasps do more damage when held tightly than when hands are kept open.

I haven’t been bothered by a wasp lately, but I have been worried, anxious, and bothered about something. I have clenched the worry tightly inside, acutely aware of its accompanying pain and suffering, but not letting go of it. I’ve been afraid that if I let go, things won’t turn out the way I want them to. There’s a part of me that is certain that there is a way for me to control the situation and outcome. Like that toddler, it appears that I haven’t yet learned that more damage is done by holding on tightly than by letting go of my willful agenda.

Mormon declared, “And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.” (Words of Mormon 1:7) I know that God has a plan for each of us, and it is only by submitting and opening ourselves to Him that we can begin to realize His will for us. He knows us and our possibilities much better than we do. We can trust His loving omniscience. Such trust is not a singular decision or event, but is chosen and practiced throughout our lives. I recognize that I’ve been holding tight to a worry, and I see the folly of thinking that I know best about how things should turn out. I am letting go of this pesky “wasp” to put myself in the Lord’s hands. He fully knows what’s best for me.