This week at the end of our vacation in North Carolina, I came home without Zoe, my oldest child, who will be spending the year working there and living with my parents. Zoe is 17, and she will become an adult in three months’ time. And while I know it is my time to let go so that she can fly on her own to thrive and grow, it is not easy when most of my days have centered around caring for her well-being ever since they handed that pink newborn to me tightly wrapped in a blanket and said, “Here is your baby girl.” Many of you have also been through a similar experience as you have sent kids to camp for a week or to college for a year to watch them grow and change and become more themselves. I am so excited for her and all that is ahead as God works in her life, and I will miss having her nearby. Both are true.
In each of our lives there are things we must let go of to grow into who we are called to be. My best friend and I chose to attend different colleges for this very reason. Maybe you can call to mind a time when letting go was life-giving and true for you?
There are also things we must hold onto to stay grounded, reminding us of who and whose we are. Our faith in God’s goodness and love is the primary grounding for Christian strength. We remember this in our Baptism where we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and claimed as Christ’s own. Our new identity as God’s child within a family of believers which spans space and time reassures us that we are never alone.
Remembering our identity in Christ helps strengthen us amidst the ebb and flow of changes in life. Like a trapeze artist – only as we let go of the fear of change can we fly forward and grab tightly onto what is next for us. And then we may rejoice as we recognize God’s work in our lives. As stated in the Westminster Catechism, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.”
God’s gracious loving presence through the Holy Spirit is our constant, guiding us all the way through life. God is our anchor in the storms of life – keeping us from floating away with the whims of the world – grounding us; freeing us from fear as so much around us changes, yet that which is of most importance does not. Thanks be to God!
As we come out the other side of this pandemic and create a new normal as individuals and as a faith community, let us continue to stay connected and to hold one another in prayer as we navigate these days deciding what to let go of and what to hold onto in hope.
Come to worship this Sunday to hear more reasons to rejoice as God’s people!
Blessings and Peace,
Rev. Amy