"Please Don't Fight These Hands That Are Holding You"

     I mess up a lot. I get myself into situations where I try to handle everything on my own.  That’s not the biggest problem though. The big problem here is that despite knowing that I need God’s embrace and direction the most, I still try to bear my burdens alone. Sometimes I just simply don’t let Him hold me. I think this is something we all do from time to time. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t we sometimes like to pretend that we can do things on our own? I think the majority here would probably say yes. Maybe it’s just our flawed way of thinking or our intense desire to want to be strong and independent, but in certain situations we think, “hey I’ve got this all on my own!” But then eventually that turns into, “I think I’ve got this… I mean, I probably do.” Until it turns into, “yeah I DEFINITELY can’t handle this alone.” God desires to hold our hearts and to carry our burdens. But He can’t do that unless you let Him.

     I know I’m not alone in the fight to relinquish all control up to God. Personally, I try to carry my crosses alone. Even in times when it couldn’t be more obvious that asking God for help would be the best solution, I still try to be independent. To save you all from a very long explanation, I’ll shorten it to this: I sometimes allow myself to think that being strong and independent means that I can’t ask God for help. So often times I will find myself attempting to take on the world alone. Most times when I do this, I know deep in my heart that God is quietly sitting by, waiting to carry my burdens. I can even hear His gentle whisper, “My beloved, let go, give it all up to ME.” In these moments, I feel a deep pull in the center of my being. I know its God reminding me that I was not created to carry my burdens alone. I didn’t reach this conclusion until about two years ago. I was stressed out (as per usual) and I was explaining to a friend my struggle to let my burdens go and hand them over to God. Her response was pretty simple. She said, “Why are you trying to do this all on your own? You know you can’t. This feeling you’re telling me about? It’s God reminding you that He is there to help you. Let Him help you.” A few simple sentences radically changed my perspective.

     This idea of giving all your burdens up to God is not easy; it takes time, persistence, and a whole lot of prayer. But the result of doing this cannot be adequately described through these small words on this blog. I promise you, you are not alone in your struggle to let go. I promise that God is patiently waiting to take all of your burdens off of your back. I promise you that letting go does not mean you’re too weak to handle your struggles. It shows that you trust in God enough to help you carry your cross.

     Keep in mind another gift God has given us. God blessed us with family and friends not to simply be there when things are easy, but rather He gave us one another in order to not walk this world alone. As Proverbs 17:17 says perfectly, “a friend loves at all times”. This means that the friends that we have are not just there for the good times, but they are there to support us in the bad times as well. If you find yourself struggling to give up your burdens to God, turn to them in your struggle and ask them to help you.

     I hope you are able to begin to recognize the days when you try to handle too much on your own and when you do recognize them, I hope you can to pause for a moment and remind yourself that God desires every piece of you, even the messy, confused, and broken parts. Open yourself up to God’s loving embrace. He desires to help you through every moment, the good moments and the bad. You must be willing to make a conscious effort every time you’re in situation where you know that you need God. In those situations, give it all up to Him, because He wants every piece of you.

     Tenth Avenue North says it best, so I’ll leave you with these words. “Cause I love you, I want you to know, that I love you, I’ll never let you go. And I’ll be by your side, wherever you fall. In the dead of night, whenever you call. Please don’t fight these hands that are holding you. My hands are holding you.”

Praying for you friends,

Micaela 

“Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us”

                I can hold a grudge. I mean, let’s be honest, people, especially women are pretty good at holding grudges, right? Why? Because we get hurt easily and sometimes we stay hurt for a really long time. Although women are notorious for this habit, anyone can hold a grudge. But here’s the thing ladies and gentlemen out there: we are called to forgive those that trespass against us. God tells us that word for word in the Our Father. I know, I know, it’s not always the easiest thing to do. Trivial things are often easy to let go of, but what about when it’s something that cuts us deep down at our core? Suddenly, forgiveness is not as easy.

 In my lifetime, I’ve held my fair share of grudges and refused to give forgiveness where it was so obviously deserved. I can’t really explain why I didn’t want to forgive… other than being wounded; but besides that there really wasn’t a good reason for refusing to be open to the idea of forgiveness. In all honesty, there never is a good reason to not forgive people. We can make excuses for reasons not to, but when it comes down to it, we are called to forgive.

Next time you’re holding a grudge and you’re struggling to forgive someone for their actions, try to think about things in a different light. Remind yourself that that person is a child of God. Just as God loves you, He also loves the person you are struggling to forgive. Ask God to reveal the love He has for them to you. I assure you, you will find it easier to forgive them.

Something important to keep in mind: please be patient with yourself. Choosing to forgive someone is a wonderful thing, but it might not come as easily as you want it to. What matters is that you work at it and despite how difficult it may seem to be, don’t give up on striving to see that person as a child of God deserving of forgiveness. I know you can do it, believe in your ability to forgive and be patient with yourself.

As St. Josemaria Escriva said, “All right: That person has behaved badly toward you. But haven’t you behaved worse toward God?” No matter how many times we sin, God forgives us and shows us mercy. We must do the same for others in forgiving them and showing them mercy. Strive to reveal that mercy!

“Lord help us to forgive those who have hurt us. Help us to take the hurt and frustration and turn it into joy; because we know it is what you would have us to do. Help us to forgive so that you may forgive us. Heal the hurts and cleanse our minds. We thank you, Lord, that You can help us to forgive and close the chapter in our lives forever. In the name of Jesus. Amen.” (Jason Evert)

I am praying so hard for you.

Your sister in Christ,

Micaela