A life of freedom:Forgiveness, letting go, surrender

A life of freedom: Forgiveness, letting go, surrender • Kathleen Maxwell-Rambie • May 15, 2021

We have the great privilege of living in the USA — the land of the free and the home of the brave. I am grateful for our military, which has provided and continues to provide freedom for us to enjoy every day. What does freedom look like in our daily lives? Living a life of freedom means practicing three things regularly: forgiveness, letting go and surrender. We live in a fallen world, and one day, when we get to heaven, life will be perfect. Until then, we have to learn to live free in a world with imperfect people, heartbreak, loss, offense and disappointment. Forgiveness has been a big key to living free in my life. When we forgive, we set ourselves free. For many years, I lived my life forgiving others when I felt like it. I wanted to be genuine and mean it, but what I found is it often took a long time to get to “feeling like forgiving.” Matthew 6:14 (NIV) says, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive, your heavenly Father will not forgive you.” The above scripture shows us that forgiveness is a choice. We have a choice to forgive or not. Forgiving others not only sets us free, it also puts us in a place to receive forgiveness from God for ourselves. It is a win/win situation. We can rest knowing God is just, and we have been obedient to scripture. One day, I learned that forgiveness is a choice and something you do more for yourself, not your offender. Choosing to forgive others instead of waiting until I felt like it gave me a whole lot more freedom in my life. We can be honest with God when we don’t feel like forgiving; however, it is important to choose to forgive because he says so and ask him to change our hearts. Forgiveness is a gift we give ourselves. Sometimes we work so hard to make something work, and we need to just let go. When we let go, we trust God. Letting go of an offense, things going a certain way, a problem we have or grief in our hearts are big keys to our freedom. Years ago, my marriage to my late husband struggled. I tried everything I knew to make things work, and they seemed to get worse. One day, I prayed and said, “God, I let go and trust you.” I quit trying to fix and control the situation. God began to work when I got out of his way, and my marriage was restored. Surrendering to God’s plans and purposes brings freedom. Surrendering, trusting, adjusting our plans and timeline brings peace to our heart. I usually have to pray out loud, “I trust you, Lord; change my heart and perspective to see this situation like you do.” There is something about voicing our trust and declaring it. The waves of life can daily toss us around, and surrendering helps keep us grounded. In Isaiah 22:12 (NIV) it reads, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” We can surrender and trust God, who dearly loves us and is committed to us. Jesus came for us to live a life of freedom. Let’s partner with him and daily practice forgiveness, letting go and surrendering to bring more freedom into our lives. And remember, as we practice, we grow and mature — and freedom rings in our lives and plays a beautiful melody. Kathleen is a Hill Country author, writer, speaker and podcaster. She is passionate about helping people bring God into their everyday life. She can be reached at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com. To purchase her book or listen to her podcast, visit her website, www.kathleenmaxwellrambie.com

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Book signing this Thursday in New Braunfels, Texas beginning at 4:00 p.m. at The Crossing. 322 West. San Antonio, St. Come at 6:00 for a book review, shopping, and refreshments.

Honor, forgive, and teach - A tribute to my mother

My mother was a 5-foot-2, blue-eyed lady who taught me many things. She taught me everything from “say please and thank you” to “don’t forget to wear your lipstick,” “you better shape up or ship out” and there was always, “get happy just like you got sad.” Mary Belle loved people and would talk to anyone who would listen. She was a genuine lady and tried her best to teach me how to be a lady. I’m still learning. The best things my mom taught me were about walking with God. She loved the Lord, and it was evident by the many times I would see her studying her Bible, listening to worship music and by the life she led. She was a woman who loved God with all her heart and a praying woman. I am forever grateful for all the prayers she prayed for me and all the wise counsel she gave me. If you are a young mother, I challenge you to train your children, spend time with them, and teach them about a relationship with God. He will always be with them, you will not. Perhaps you are reflecting on your own mother as Mother’s Day approaches — good memories, bad or funny ones and the painful memories. God’s word is very specific on how to treat our parents. Ephesians 6:2 (NIV) says, “Honor your father and mother — which is the first commandment with a promise — that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth.” I found eight times in scripture where God tells us to honor our father and mother, which indicates it is pretty important to the heart of God. So, what does that mean to us today? You do not have to like everything your mom did or did not do, but you do have to honor the God-given position she has in your life. If nothing else, you can be grateful your mom carried you in her womb and gave birth to you. Honoring our mother is not just a suggestion but a commandment with a promise. When we honor our mom, we receive a blessing! Maybe your mom had some problems and hurt you in some ways emotionally, physically or was not there for you. Those are hard situations, but we cannot let bitterness and resentment build in our hearts. Unfortunately, those thoughts and feelings hold us, not the mother, in bondage. If your mom has hurt you, let you down or made wrong choices, do yourself a favor and forgive her this Mother’s Day. Forgiveness truly is a gift you give to yourself as much as to her. You do not have to tell her you forgive her; rather, it can just be a conversation between you and God. One of the hardest Mother’s Day seasons for me was the first year my mom was gone from this earth. It seemed everywhere I looked, some store was advertising the holiday. Tears would sting my eyes, and I thought of her not being here. Psalms 27:10 (KJV) was a promise I held on to. It states, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” I looked to God to fill the void and not waste my pain. God was faithful and has put other women in my life to mother me, pray for me and encourage me, just like my mom would if she were here. I still miss her. Maybe it is your first Mother’s Day without your mom. If your mom isn’t around anymore, let the tears roll. I pray God’s rich comfort over your heart and His healing touch, and I give you permission to cry. Grief is the price of love. Life is short. In this Mother’s Day season, honor your mother, forgive her, bless her, thank her or cry over her absence. She was the first person to know of your existence, gave you life and deserves honor. Kathleen is a Hill Country author, writer, speaker and podcaster. She is passionate about helping people bring God into their everyday life. She can be reached at kathleenmaxwell1@gmail.com. To purchase her book or listen to her podcast, visit her website, www.kathleenmaxwellrambie.com.