The Reason It’s Time To Let Go

It was time.

The soles of my favorite shoes were wearing thin. I loved those silver sandals, but 10 years of constant use had taken its toll.  Every time I slipped those sandals on, I knew I would slide them off in pain. With little support due to the slim coverings on the bottom of the shoes, my feet ached from wearing them. 

Feeling the pain in my feet had affected my attitude toward the people around me. It was obvious I needed to make a change.

It was time to let them go.

But I couldn’t. I was certain I would never find another pair of sandals with such unique style and flair.  When I first purchased those sandals I was stepping out of my comfort zone – I had never bought such an intricate pair of sandals like them.  In time they became my go-to shoes, the ones I couldn’t travel without, the ones that I was most comfortable wearing. How could I let them go?

Sometimes the fear of not having even small items causes us to continue living with dysfunction. They were only shoes – yet these shoes weren’t working in my life or my marriage!

Yet as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3, “There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth…a time to hold on and another to let go.”  (The Message)

My season for these beautiful sandals surpassed the time they were intended.  But all things have a set time and purpose, and my sandals had definitely outlasted their time and purpose in my life. They had served me well.

While you may not have have trouble letting go of a certain pair of shoes, odds are you have other items in your home that you are no longer serving a purpose – that set of dishes that sit in the box; your old, comfy jeans that no longer fit; the worn-out stuffed animal that’s missing an eye; the awards you won when you were in high school that remind you of your glory days.

Solomon knew that fruit comes in pruning and in letting go. There is fruit that comes from discerning the areas that need releasing so that fresh life can begin to grow. There is a time for material things in your life, but now it may be time to let them go.  They served you once, but do no longer.

Ridding unnecessary items from your space provides an open invitation for peace within yourself and your marriage.

It’s never easy, but it’s usually necessary.  

Wife Step: Pray: Heavenly Father you have ordained a time for everything, including a time to let go. While it may not be easy for me to let go of material items, give me the strength I need to remove the unnecessary so the essential has first place in my life.  More than anything, Lord, I want to make room for what You would have in my life that serves me well and brings glory to You. Help me to loosen my grip on what I need to let go of so that my hands will be free to receive all You have for me.  

“…a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away…” – Ecclesiastes 3:5-6 (NIV)

What are you most excited to have room for in your life as you clear out the excess?

Liana George has been organizing closets, drawers, events, and ministries for several years, but just recently turned her love for organizing into a business. Her desire is to help others get organized and stay organized through Organizing Solutions customized to each client’s personality and style. Liana’s attention to detail, her organizational knowledge, and her years of experience will transform your chaos into lasting order.

Liana is an active member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, as well as the local NAPO Houston chapter. She is currently serving on the NAPO Houston board and actively participates with the chapter in a variety of volunteer service projects.