Retirement Rocks: A 14-Day Reading Plan for All That Free TimeSample

Letting go of the past isn't always easy, is it? No matter where you've come from - whether your yesterdays were blissful or tough—getting past them and moving on into a new phase of life can be complicated. God knows this, and He’s planning to stick close so that you won’t have to make the big decisions alone. In fact, He wants to be fully engaged every step of the way.

Before you fully move into your retirement years, perhaps it would be a good time to put the past behind you once and for all. This might involve releasing—people, memories, hopes, worries, fears . . . even relationships. No, it won’t be easy. Yes, it will be worth it.

So, what does that look like? Break down the word release to find out!

Re-: again

Lease: to stay temporarily in a place you don’t own, knowing it probably won’t last forever.

When you release your yesterdays to the Lord, you’re saying, “It was never mine in the first place, Father. That job, that home, those possessions, those workplace friends . . . they were a temporary lease. And now You’re offering me a new season, a new lease on life.”

Most of all, a release means you’ve got to take your sticky fingers off it. This is never easy, but once you finally let go, peace will flood your soul, and you’ll have a new perspective for the journey ahead.

Let it go, friend. It’s hard to grab hold of today when you’re still holding tightly to yesterday.

Letting go won’t be easy, Lord, but I’m ready to release my yesterdays to You. Thanks for the reminder that they were never mine to begin with! Amen.