Sand Trapping

Have you ever noticed that if you pick up a handful of sand and squeeze it really tight it just pours right out?  HOWEVER! If you scoop up the sand and cup it in your opened hand-it stays...

(...and yes, in my picture, it is sugar.  I live in Indiana, people!  Who do you think I am? Jimmy Buffett? ) 

Anyway.

I think the same goes for the people in our life.  If we try to hold on too tight, they can slip away.  Our intentions are to protect the ones we love by being over protective, and maybe a little over possessive, because we love them so much and don't want to lose them.

 The truth is, nobody wants to be smothered or controlled and what we truly fear, ends up happening as our loved ones flee from our tight grip.

We want to be in relationships with people who trust us and give us the freedom to fly and support us even when we strike out.  When we give the people in our lives the freedom to fly, they will feel respected and valued and they will return to us again and again and again.


This is not a revolutionary thought, but paints a very accurate picture of what it means to "catch and release."

We all can think relationships in our lives where we might have held on too tightly.  We did so out of fear, but lost in the long run. Maybe it was with a friend, a child, a parent, a sibling, or a spouse...our intentions were pure, but we held on too tight out of fear.  Fear of losing them, fear of NOT being in control of them and pushed them away.

Dr. Phil says:
"what we fear, we create."

I think he is right.

The things that we usually fear most in our lives end up coming true because we are so busy focusing on the fear-than actually enjoying the time we have.

We all want to be loved but we also want freedom to grow and to breath. Maybe it's time we let go. Maybe we need to open up our hands and let the people in our lives take a breath!  Trust them!  Trust God.

Let's practice!