Letting go

But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” — Exodus 2:3

I couldn’t hold on any longer. I thought my family situation was the worst it could be—but I was wrong. Tempers flared, words were exchanged, and feuds turned an already unpleasant situation into a hopeless one. What was once a tight-knit family now didn’t speak at all. I realized nothing within my power could fix the split that was happening. I felt powerless as everything slipped out of my hands.

It reminded me of being a kid, hanging from the monkey bars on the playground. Holding on was easy for a while, but after a few minutes, your arms would ache, your fingers would go numb, and your legs would feel as if they weighed a thousand pounds. You tried to keep yourself up, but eventually—it happened. You had to let go and fall to the ground. That kind of weight can’t be held forever.

Motherhood is like that. You try to keep everyone together. You remind your family how much they love each other, and that family forgives. You beg and plead for cooling-off periods so tempers won’t flare. You hold everything up, dangling under the weight of it all—until it gets so heavy, you simply can’t anymore. You're forced to do what you don’t want to do… let go.

In Exodus, we read about a mother who also knew what it was like to let go. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, understood the pain we moms feel. She, too, held on to her child and her dreams as long as she possibly could.

“But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.” — Exodus 2:3

I imagine Jochebed getting up that morning, knowing it was time. Hiding the baby was no longer an option. She placed him in the basket, watched him float away, and did what any mother would do—she prayed. She didn’t know what would happen to her son, but she trusted the One who had given him to her. She believed that God loved him, and that salvation would come. She didn’t know how or from where, but she trusted the outcome to the One who holds us all.

I know it’s hard. Watching your child cling to the things of the world instead of the things of Jesus… watching your family break under the weight of old fights and feuds… it’s enough to crush you.

It’s time to open your hands and let go. God is waiting to catch you—and He has your family in His hands. Salvation belongs to the Lord. You can trust He will catch you.

This blog was first published for Round Farm House Ministries in May, 24,