As you drive down that highway (sorry, I don't know the highway number) you'll pass a field which contains a bunch of old cars, trucks, tractors and junk.....all lined up in a long row. I heard that years ago the person who owned that land had a disagreement with someone about something and just to spite that person, he put all his old junk in a long line.....all to prove a point.
When I saw that it reminded me of a blog posting I read about letting things go. I wonder if every time that farmer sees all that junk, he remembers the feeling of spite and I wonder if after so many years that he's hardened and numb or if he's still feeling the anger and revenge?
Quite a few years ago, we had someone build a house behind our pasture and he had his land surveyed. Somehow they figured that a few inches of our pasture fence (which has been there for quite a few more than 22 years) was on their property. I don't know how that happened because we had had our land surveyed years before and everything was as it should be. In that guy's mind, he thought it would be okay to take our pasture fence down because the posts didn't look good (it's not a great fence, just chunky fence posts with long planks nailed horizontally in between).
Needless to say, I was very angry with him (an elderly guy) and talked to him about it, but he wasn't going to do anything about it since he had no money. Some people, right? Obviously this is something that I still, to this day, need to let go. I called the city and they told me there was nothing I could do about it. I was angry and still get angry when I really think about it now.
I had no intention of writing about this; I had not thought about that incident in quite a while. Interesting the things our brains store until something reminds us; I wouldn't mind if I never had to be reminded of a few things. I need to permanently let this go.
Some of us have issues or incidents in our lives that we need to let go. I find that if I focus on positive things that I'd like to have happen instead of the issues then it's easier to let it go. I get positive results when I focus on what I'd like to see.
There's a song by Jewel entitled Life Uncommon that I absolutely love. I heard it the first time at Rapid Eye Certification. It's a beautiful song that leaves me with the feeling of needing to let go of my chains or let go of things that aren't good for me; you see, the things we hold on to or are angry about only hurt us.
Jewel
"Just lend your voices only to sounds of freedom. No longer lend your strength to that you wish to be free from. Fill your lives with love and bravery and you shall lead a life uncommon."
There are many methods of letting go of things. You can write it down on paper and burn it, visualize it burning, turning to ashes and blowing away, floating away or even bury it; I say whatever works for you is right. Ultimately, when I let things go I'm giving it to my Savior to dispose of because he is the only one who can lift it from me when I am willing to let it go.
I'm going to work on letting go of my irritation and anger towards my neighbor; there's nothing I can do about at this point and I don't think that putting pigs out in my pasture (which was my original idea) will help me at all; it would be kind of like the farmer who lined all his junk up just to spite someone. He still sees those chains, and every time I would smell pigs I'd feel my chains of anger. And let's face it; I'm no pig farmer and have no desire to learn that skill.
This just made me smile, "I'm no pig farmer." That pretty much sums it all up, doesn't it? I recently learned that being willing to let go is the key--because how else can be access the atonement than by being willing. Enjoy the journey, dear friend! (And I will too! ;)
ReplyDeleteLisa, It was your blog posting of letting things go that prompted me to think, once again, of letting things go. You're inspiring to me. thanks for your comment; it put a smile on my face. The journey is interesting, isn't it?
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