Holding On

I've been thinking a lot lately about things we hold on to in this world. I'm talking about the tight kind of holding on...the kind of hold that you won't let go in fear that you'll lose that "thing" if let up on the grip.
This reminds me of an analogy. In the book "Where the Red Fern Grows," there is a part where the raccoon has his hand stuck down in a little hole on the log. He has his hand on the "treasure he wants" but the only problem is that he can't pull it out because the hole is too small. The stubborn raccoon will not let go of his possession. For days he will just sit on that log with his little paw down in that hole holding his prize. Little does he know, that it's a trap and he'll get hunted down by the two coon dogs if he doesn't release his grip and run away.
In many ways, we hold on to worldly things too tightly. Like the raccoon, if we don't "let go," we'll be stuck in the trap. Here are some things that we hold on to:
-money
-job
-kids
-clothes
-appearance
-our spouse
-our family/extended family
-vehicles
-the list can go on....
I believe with my whole heart that if we learn to "let go" and "let God" we will all live in peace! We must only HOLD ON to Jesus! We are not in control. Thank goodness that God has all things in His grip. We don't ever need to worry. We can rest assured that God is in control of everything and all things are safely in His hands.
Here is one of my favorite songs by Twila Paris! It sums up everything:
By Twila Paris "Hold On"

Every little baby comes into the world
Reaching for an anchor, fingers tightly curled
Grasping for a reason without knowing why
We will cling to anything until the day we die.

We can hold on to sorrow, hold on to pain
We can hold on to anger when there's nothing to be gained
We can hold to a thread at the end of a rope
But if we hold on to Jesus, we are holding on to Hope.

This is human nature, this is what He planned
When He put our hearts inside, when He made these hands
We are here to reach for Him, never letting go
This is all we need to have. All we need to know.

We can hold on to money, hold on to fame
We can hold on to glory and the honor of a name
We can hold to a thread at the end of a rope
But if we hold on to Jesus we are holding on to Hope.

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