“Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 

2 Corinthians 3:17

Her supple, young hand clasped mine as we wound our way through the back streets to the wooded neighborhood park. We marveled at the sunshine and painted autumn leaves that crunched underneath our feet and agreed, spring was still our favorite season.

We claimed our own swing and flew higher than this middle-aged body could stand. So I spun instead; spun on that swing ’til the chains twisted together and my feet rose higher and higher off the ground.

And then, I let go. 

And the untwisted spinning made me giggle like a school girl again. 

She wanted to untwist, too, but as the chains twisted up tight and her feet left the ground her face spelled fear. “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” I reassured her. And then, I let go and she spun free and giggled just like a six-year-old school girl should.

Now, isn’t that a lot like life? We get all tangled and twisted until fear spreads all over our faces. And when we hear God say, “Let go” that fear grasps those chains tighter and our tip-toes reach for solid earth. But God repeats, “Let go” and reassures us, “I’ve got you!” 

Our letting go sometimes takes years. We’d rather clasp onto that fear and tangled mess than let go and spin free and giggle. But, oh, when we finally experience the freedom of letting go – that spiraling that makes us say, “Do it again!” – we want more.

You see, when we learn to let go, we free our hands to grasp Heaven’s hem – that sheer veil that somehow lifts between here and God. And the more of Heaven’s hem we grasp, the more of God’s Presence we find. And when we encounter God’s Presence, we crave more because He. Is. Good. 

Are you tired of hanging onto your tangled, fearful mess? Then, let go and touch Heaven’s hem. Let God spin you ’round, restore your heart and renew your joy.