A Sister's Love--and Let it Be

 My dear younger sister Joella sent me a sunshine box just after my recent surgery. 

In it were a beautiful new purse and several articles of clothing including the top and skirt that I wore to church Sunday. The top and skirt actually matched--something I have a hard time doing. 

 I have a hard time matching clothes. (And everybody in the peanut gallery said Amen.)

So it was super nice to have a classy sister send me some clothes she bought just for me at an outlet store but brand new, and the skirt even fit PERFECTLY without me having to sew pleats or let out seams or use safety pins. 

(Oops, I'm letting my secrets out.)

I try hard to do things like everyone else, such as wear matching clothes, but I just don't have the gifts others do. So I have to be content with how I am and who I am. 

Also I have to let go of how other people are. 

And how some circumstances are. 

I can't fix everything, not even some things. Only a few things.

I can't make things better for most people. I can't force themto  make healthy choices.

I don't know other people's hearts or minds or motives.

I am not God. 

And I don't dare play God, either. 

I'm not the other person's Holy Spirit. Only He is that. 

There are some things that the best and safest thing to do is to just 

let it be.

Some people's lives don't match their claims or their testimonies. Can I fix them?

Let them be.

I have enough to do to live authentically and holy myself. 

Some people's prayers about relationships are up in the sky while they refuse to obey the simplest guidelines God gave us on this earth, which if they would do, their prayers would quickly be answered. 

Let them be.

As the plaque said on the wall of the place where we stayed a week and a half ago, "Let it Be."

I thought, "Wow!  A lot of problems would resolve if we followed that motto."

Obviously we can't just sit on the couch and veg and just lazily let everything be; and ministers can't just let everything be without preaching about God's demands for holiness and right living and godliness in our hearts, lives, and homes; 

and as moms we certainly have to look well to the ways of our household and train up our children in the way they should go, including godly discipline for the learning of obedience;

and there are surely at least one or two or many situations around us that we could truly help in a generous, caring, and godly way;

 but there are some situations where we would be better off to let it be.

Perhaps today, we could choose one or two things that rankle us, 

and let it be. 

We might discover more peace in the midst of the storm.