Learning To Let Go

From time to time we all come to a point where no matter how hard we try, no matter how convincing our arguments or how much time and energy we invest in something or someone, we have to let go.  It’s one of the worst parts of ministry, especially as it relates to people.  The hardest thing to do is to watch as people you’ve poured into, you’ve watched grow up, you’ve seen experience God decide to walk into a giant cave of goo (that’s a reference to my earlier post on Think Orange).

I’m not sure how you deal with it, but for me, it means a time of mourning.  Sometimes, I get really busy and I don’t notice it right away, sometimes I see it coming but feel helpless to stop it and sometimes it hits like a wrecking ball and all I can do is pick up the pieces but no matter how it happens, when someone chooses to part company, it hurts.

One of the leadership lessons I’ve learned in the last few years is to be prepared to let go.  Eventually people move on and I could allow myself to get all hung up on it or I can be ready for it and celebrate the accomplishments we’ve had.  Sometimes people move on to other things and sometimes people just leave, they are equally heartbreaking but will happen.  I’ve had to learn to separate my self worth from whether people ’stick with it’ or not, and spend a little more time living in the moment.

Not sure if this is new to anyone or advice for anyone but it’s what I’m thinking about today.