Let Go

Life is just a grab bag of donuts; stale, squished, and mangled.

When I was pregnant with my second baby, I was craving a donut…like REALLY craving. I packed up my two-year-old daughter and headed to a local grocery store bakery with a maternity mission in mind. I stood in front of the donut display case and eyed the perfect one to satisfy my needs. A chocolate frosted, Bavarian cream filled delight. There was something about the combination of chocolate, fried bread dough, and creamy wonder that called to me.

The woman behind the counter began to grab donuts from the nearly empty case and shove them into a bag. I watched her take the dry plain ones, misshaped maple bars, and lemon filled leftovers and pile them one on top the other, shaking the bag to adjust its contents.

I finally spoke up and pointed to the Bavarian cream donut. She told me she had just enough to fill a grab bag and if I wanted it I would need to purchase the whole bag.

I didn’t want the dried out, mangled mess she shoved in the bag. I only wanted one donut, but she refused to sell it to me. Doesn’t she know you should never get between an eight month pregnant woman and her craving? Seriously!

Life is just a grab bag of donuts.

This is the time of year many reflect and resolve. Reflect on the past twelve month’s unfulfilled hopes and dreams, and resolve to establish a better way to achieve them in the New Year. Recycled dreams.

This seems to be the time of year I sit with my grease stained bag of stale, squished, mangled dreams and wonder if I should toss the whole bag. Go on a dream diet. Live by the seat of my pants and see where I land. Come what may. You know, live Doris Day style…que sera sea.

It’s hard to dream, yet I’m reminded in Proverbs 29:18 that “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”

One of my favorite animated movies is Joseph King of Dreams. If there is someone that could have totally given up on his dreams, it was Joseph. There’s a song in the movie that has a profound line in it:

“I’ve let go the need to know why, ‘cause You know better than I.”

 For me, I don’t know what to dream anymore, but I do know the Dream Giver.

And I’ve let go.