Let Go and Support One Another

Motherhood is a tough job even in the best of times. And even the strongest of moms find that they grow weary as the days turn into weeks in this worldwide pandemic. Certainly, many are feeling very worn down and barely hanging on. There is a simple truth we should practice to overcome: Let go of what fails and support one another in love.

A few weeks ago, our family took a hiking trip and deep into the woods we found a very large boulder blanketed with moss except for one little sapling near the top. Of course, our first instinct was to find a way to climb to the top. The slippery moss and steep facing made the ascent to the top quite a challenge. Close to the top of the boulder was this small sapling that obviously had fallen from a larger tree, taken root in the shallow soil and had begun to grow. At first, in our efforts to reach the top we inevitably grabbed that little tree. But because of the lack of strong roots, we found out quickly that that was the wrong thing to hold for climbing. After learning the hard way, we searched for another way to get to the top. We found that if each of us took a turn standing under the other and supporting the other’s foot it gave the strength needed to crest the top. One by one each of us made it to the top with the support of the others. Letting go of the little tree that offered no help, we supported each other and right there in those woods God laid out a simple truth: let go of the things that do not last and bear the weight of each other through love.

Peter writes about this truth in his first book.

1 Peter 1:22–25
22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
24 for “All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”

Temporal things will fail. What we hold on to must be things that are rooted in God. His Word, His redemption, His love, His promises, and more. If what is in our hands does not fall into those categories, then we should let it go. There is peace that comes in the letting go, like the relaxation of a muscle releasing a long-held tight grip. So often our strength is wasted in holding on to what cannot hold us. The things rooted in God will never give way; they last forever and are deeper than any earthly roots. This passage in 1 Peter also talks about brotherly love. It is in this way that we support each other. Every day we should offer support through love to each other. The only way my family could reach the top of that rock was through supporting one another. None of us could have accomplished that climb alone. Imagine the outcome if we had refused to help one another or if we had criticized each other’s ascent. Peter says to love one another “earnestly.” That means to love intensely or fervently. When it was my turn to ascend the rock, I can say my family supported me “intensely” and we all had a good laugh.

Are you weary? Ask for loving support from other believers, and be a support for others as well. Then, holding onto Him, we will get through this together.