Let Go and Let G-d

In the 12-Step fellowships they say, “Let Go and Let G-d.” Often times we find ourselves holding on to things we have no control over. We may be sitting in traffic jams or standing on lines we would rather not be in. We end up getting tense and anxious. Needless-to-say, this tension has deleterious effects on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. When we find ourselves encountering a person, place, or thing that is too heavy for us, we would be wise to simply let go and let G-d.

A story is told that during an icy winter day, the great mystic Reb Zushe from Anipoli walked effortlessly up an icy slope. When young men much younger and sprightly than he attempted this feat unsuccessfully, they asked Rabbi Zushe what his secret was. He responded that on his own he would also be unable to walk up a steep, icy slope, but that after a point he just keeps putting one foot in front of the other while at the same time letting G-d take care of the results. As the saying goes, “G-d is the president of results, but I’m the vice president of footwork.”

Question: What are some people, places, and things for which you would be better off letting go and letting G-d?

Meditative Prayer: G-d, I pray for the self-control to let go of situations that are too heavy for me to hold on to and to give them over to You.