WHEN FLIP-FLOPS PREACH SERMONS
Recently I laid to rest two old friends. We shared global adventures together—visiting the pyramids, cruising the Caribbean, and ministering in Uganda. These were devoted companions. Their names? Flip and Flop, my old sandals.
As I tearfully deposited my flip-flops in the garbage, I considered humming taps. No, that’s ridiculous! My old flip-flops are merely a metaphor, representing those times in life when we must let go of the past and move on to a new life God has chosen for us. We say goodbye to a loved one who’s passed, a career, or marriage. It’s often heartbreaking.
The hardest transition in my life has been the loss of my wife, Linda. Nearly three years have passed, and the Lord is showing me that it’s time to let go. Letting go doesn’t mean we quit caring for a person, or love them any less. In fact, it could be the opposite.
For me, letting go means turning my focus away from what has been, and embracing what will be. I’ll always cherish the past, and there will always be a hole in my heart. But there comes a point where I can no longer cling to the past for comfort. I’m looking forward toward a new future God has chosen for me. He does this for all of us.
In Isaiah 43:19 God promised Israel he would deliver them from captivity, “I am doing something new! Now you will grow like a new plant. Surely you know this is true. I will even make a road in the desert, and rivers will flow through that dry land” (ERV). I long to experience rivers flowing through those dry places in my life.
I may not understand how God chooses to do this, but what a comforting assurance that He’s not just going to deliver us from our “captivities,” but also bless us with a wonderful future! And that sounds pretty good to me!
Ponder:
What seasons of letting go are you, or have you, experienced?
What promises of assurance has God given you?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Isaiah 43.
Loving Father, thank you that you are with me during painful times of letting go. I cling to your promises of a hopeful future.
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