Holding on

Many years ago, I belonged to a group of people who got together regularly to ride horses. We camped, rode trails, and participated in parades.

On one particular ride, one of the horses bolted from the horse trailer. Without thinking I grabbed the lead line, which slid through my hands, leaving severe rope burns. My injury prevented me from participating in the trail ride, so for hours I sat alone, nursing my hands as they began to blister. I knew I should have just let the rope go instead of holding on. As I had often done in other areas of my life, I tried to control things by myself rather than trusting God’s promises.

Looking at my injured palms, I thought of how I needed to let go of my desire for control and trust God in every area of my life. With that revelation, I gained a new sense of peace. When my friends returned, they found me smiling and ready to head home with the plan to put my trust in God, no matter what occurs in my life.