Did you ever read or watch the movie “Where the Red Fern Grows” when you were a kid?  Sad I know. Sorry to bring it up but, there was a part in it that was always intriguing to me.  The coon trap.  As I remember it, it was this hole in a log or a board and you put nails in it at such and angle, and then put something shiny, that would attract the coon.  Then it would reach its hand in and get it, but would never let it go.

As I kid this always intrigued me but I never really tried it out.  I always wondered what I would do if I caught one?  Kind of like what would the dog do if he ever caught the car?  But it is interesting to me that we humans are a lot like the silly coon.  We see the shiny thing, the thing that we think we want so bad, and then when we have it, we won’t let it go, no matter what.

There are all kinds of things for us to want,  whether it is riches, glory, power, influence and all the derivations of these.  But so many times they get in the way of what will bring us life.   Instead of being willing to them go, and have real life, we hold on.  Hand stuck in the tree.  Death approaching but we can’t seem to let go.

The woman at the well needed to let go of relationships that could never satisfy.  The rich young ruler needed to let go of His wealth.  Nicodemus needed to let go of his power and influence.  James and John a secure career to follow Jesus.  If we want to be someone who Leans In, getting closer to Jesus, we have to ask ourselves a really important question. 

What is it that we need to let go of?  What do we need to surrender?

 See you at church.

Pastor Chris