I absolutely loved to swing when I was a little girl! No matter where we lived we always had a swing in our yard. One of my favorites was an old stool top that my Dad drilled a hole through the center, and suspended from an old mesquite tree. That was a great swing, because I could swing and spin! I still have a small scar on the inside of my thigh from where I spun that rope so tight before letting go that it pinched my skin. I have spent countless hours of my childhood swinging..... pumping my legs and throwing my head back feeling the wind on my face and blow through my hair. That point of letting go and arcing through the air is so exhilarating. I think it is very interesting that as a child much of my favorite playtime was spent in various forms of letting go....running through the sprinkler, riding my bike up a hill and coasting down with my legs out, and rolling down our back yard hill, but as a grown up letting go is one of the most difficult things I face.
On September 2, I traveled to San Marcos to speak to the San Marcos MOPS group about my journey through motherhood as expressed in my book, The Butterfly Knight. On my hour trip I thought about what I was going to say...how I would convey the idea that we are all born perfectly and that as mother's we need to let go of our children lovingly and trust the voice of God to guide them on the path He has chosen for them. This idea of letting go of my son's journey does not leave me feeling exhilarated like that swing did from my youth. When I pulled up into the parking lot at the First Baptist Church in San Marcos where I was speaking and parked my car, looking out my window, this is what I saw a few feet away....
This swing whispered to me to come and play. The grown up in me knew I had to unpack my car and get inside and prepare for my presentation....but that swing would not let me go! I got out of my car and climbed on and I swung! Now it wasn't the full tilt swinging of my childhood with my head thrown back, but I did let go for a few minutes and swing! It was a conscious choice to seek joy in the face of fear. I know that swing helped me prepare for my presentation. And that swing inspired my new art I finished today....
Let go and discover the joy that is waiting for you!!