Letting Go of the Purple Octopus

My teammate, Chelsea DiPaolo, posted this article on our team blog page and I really liked it so now I’m sharing it with you… J 

“Tonight I was at this church service, and the topic for the night was love–God’s love for us and what that means. During the talk, the speaker gave an analogy that really spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you guys. 

The pastor told a story about his young daughter. Last summer, they were getting ready to go to Disney World. Their whole family was really hyped up and excited to go. He especially couldn’t wait to take her there and watch her excitement at seeing all of the beloved Disney characters, etc. She was excited to go, too, but really had no idea what she was in for. The day finally came when they were leaving. As they were getting ready to walk out of the house for the airport, she spotted her favorite toy, a purple blow-up octopus (random? I know). She was holding onto it tightly, and wanted to take it with her on the plane. Obviously that wasn’t going to work, but she wouldn’t give it up. She was just gripping onto it, insisting that she take it with her. He tried to tell her that once she got to Disney she wouldn’t even remember the purple octopus toy, that what she was about to experience was going to far overshadow anything she could even imagine. But she just didn’t want to let it go.

I see myself in that story. I see myself as the little girl gripping onto the purple octopus. I think we probably all can identify in some way. There are definitely things in my life that I hold tightly, not willing to give up to God. I think of the story of Abraham, when God asked him to go up to the mountain and sacrifice Isaac. God’s plan all along was to provide, but he wanted Abraham to be willing to trust him and give it up to him. It’s through this that God was glorified. It’s not that God just wants us to give things up just for kicks or because he’s mean, but he wants us to give everything up with the belief that what he has for us is unimaginably better. And why does God even bother? Because he loves us. Unexplainably, he does. God is love. As we’re leaving for this trip, I’m sure we all have situations and relationships that we’re leaving behind for the time being. I’ve been searching my heart for the past few weeks, and hear God telling me to trust him.

I John 4:13-18 says, “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

Everything about that seems to go so well with what our purpose will be for the year. I am so excited to serve with you all. I love this team blog–I hope we can all continue to share with each other what is going on in our hearts.”