Sunday reflection on a Monday: Practicing detachment

I've been thinking a lot about detachment lately, and how easy it is to become wrapped up in situations beyond our control. Really, almost everything is beyond our control, but we've convinced ourselves otherwise. So we imagine that we are in charge, that we call the shots, and when things don't work that way -- well, I don't know about you, but I get tied up in knots.

All of the readings at church this past Sunday were about detachment. The reading from the Book of Wisdom (9:13-18) reminded us that "our designs are likely to fail" but that God sees that "the paths of those on earth were set right, and people were taught what pleases you and were saved by wisdom." In Paul's Letter to Philemon (9-17), he is letting go of Onesimus, a "beloved brother" who has come to mean much to him. And in Luke's Gospel (14:25-33), Jesus is encouraging us to give up our attachments to connections and possessions in order to live in freedom as children of God.

"Let go and Let God" is a phrase I feel like I've heard all my life, but it still isn't easy. As a well-established worry-wart (and mother), I find it hard to turn off my brain and hand the worrying over to God, not to mention detaching from my possessions, my judgments, my thought patterns, my EGO! And yet, I know that if I can become less attached to all those things, entrusting them all to the One who really is in charge, I'll be much more at peace.

So this week, I am going to work on detachment, even as I deal with some problems in my daily existence. And I'm going to share a little video here, a guided meditation that was created by the Honest Guys, because I appreciate the fact that they've put it out there for free in an effort to help people who are working on letting go. It's a non-religious meditation with its heart in the right place.

Is there anything you're trying to let go?