Lucky – October 13, 2002
In a typical neighborhood crisscrossed with sidewalks and narrow lanes, seven-year-old Matthew had what he believed to be a brilliant idea. He’d gotten a new pair of roller skates for his birthday, and as he put them on, his dog—a large dog named Lucky—licked at his hands. The boy suddenly realized that he wouldn’t have to work so hard on the uphills if Lucky would pull him. So with a long leash on Lucky, Matthew zoomed down his driveway and merged into the Saturday morning traffic of children on bikes and skateboards.
A few hours later, Matthew was sitting on his front porch, with Lucky lying beside him, exhausted. His father found him and noticed that Matt was covered with grass stains and small scratches from the kind of bushes that separate yards. When he asked about his son’s morning, Matthew explained his idea and how it had worked so perfectly—until Lucky went after the neighbor’s cat.
“Why didn’t you just let go of the leash?” his father asked, trying not to laugh.
Matthew didn’t have an answer. It hadn’t occurred to him to let go of such a brilliant idea.
Many of us proudly make decisions and stand by our actions with the same resolve Matthew did. No matter the consequences, nothing can convince us to change. And yet, sometimes we don’t know how much happier we will be if we just let go.
Let us let go of hard feelings, of resentments, of the things in our lives that at one time seemed like the right way to react but, in reality, are only justifications not to forgive. Let us take time to contemplate who we are, whom we love, and whom we should love. Honest self-reflection makes it easier to let go of those things that are keeping us from feeling the peace God has in store for us. And that is something worth holding on to.
Program #3817