Let Go

Written by Wanda Rodriguez

Written on April 22, 2026

Published on April 29, 2026

As a child I remember hearing people say, “Let go and let God.”  I had zero clue as to what that meant.  Let God what?  Let go of what?  It made no sense to me whatsoever and it was definitely an incomplete sentence, just saying.  Now, looking at it through adult eyes and understanding, it makes a little more sense.  As I see it, you are being encouraged to give up your personal grip on things by letting go of your fears, frustrations, anxieties and struggles.  You are to release them by turning them over to God to carry while trusting in His good grace to guide, protect and comfort you.  You hold tight to the belief that God will open the right doors for you and to close the others thereby making your path clearer.

Trusting and giving up control can be challenging concepts to get your head around.  It is definitely something that I wrestle with on a regular basis.  I pride myself on being in control (total facade).  In control of my emotions.  In control of my choices.  In control of my actions (reactions, inactions).  But am I really in control of anything?  I ask God for guidance and direction, for ears to hear and eyes to see, for wisdom and understanding to recognize His direction for my life but do I listen.  Sometimes God’s guidance is unclear to me but other times it is crystal clear, yet I find myself ignoring it as I continue to push my own agenda.  I find that I am most compliant with His nudging when it lines up with what I wanted to do in the first place.  I tend to be strong-willed as well as a repeat offender of defiantly wasting time trying to make the proverbial square peg fit into a round hole.  I do this in efforts to move things along according to my agenda rather than that of God.  Sometimes this open disobedience is perpetuated with a positive, albeit short lived, outcome.  I find that my resistance is primarily fear based, even if I know in my heart that it is the right thing to do.  Fear of being wrong, fear of missing out, fear of failing, fear of falling, fear of being alone, fear of being hurt, fear of hurting another, … Fear!  Just plain fear!

Afraid to trust completely.  

Afraid to turnover control.   

Wait a second, isn’t fear one of the things I should be willingly laying at the feet of Jesus?  You can’t keep swinging from one vine, holding onto it for dear life, afraid to let go, until the next vine is securely in your hands.  This is where the trust part comes sharply into focus.  You need to let go of that vine, it was about to break anyway, and reach out your hand to God.  Trust that He will be there to catch you between vines should you fall and that He will continue to place the correct vines in your hands so that you can resume movement onward and upward, on God’s chosen path.  

Trust … Release …  Let go …  These are difficult concepts for sure, but I believe that there are better things waiting just up ahead.  The first step is up to you (and me).  Think of all the hidden blessings you are denying or delaying for both yourself and for others ahead whose paths are soon to intersect with yours.  Releasing control won’t necessarily be easy and it may lead to sadness, but I can tell you from experience that God will be there to walk with you through those difficult times.  Your acts of obedience will be recognized and rewarded by God, and your path will be bright and come evermore into focus.  

John 15:5 (NIV) - “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

• 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him ,and he will make your paths straight.

You Can’t Go Back, Written By: Wanda Rodriguez, Written on: April 21, 2026, Published on: April 23, 2026

You Can’t Go Back

Written By: Wanda Rodriguez

Written on: April 21, 2026

Published on: April 23, 2026

You know how sometimes circumstance brings you face to face with memories of days gone by.  This can happen when you run into an old friend, hear an old song or, like me today, find yourself visiting your old, familiar stomping grounds.  

Today I was released from the hospital following a hernia repair surgery.  Because of traffic, the navigator re-routed us off the major highway.  We ended up a stone's throw from the neighborhood where I grew up, and my friend/driver reluctantly entertained a quick detour.  This was the only home I had known until I reached my college years and beyond.  My family moved here two years before I was born, and it remained in our family until my mom’s passing several years back.  I have returned to visit a handful of times since letting the house go but today seemed different somehow.  

Maybe it felt different because of my recent surgery, my brief hospital stay or other health concerns.  I could have been feeling melancholy because of not-too-distant losses in my life.  Then again, it could have been influenced by the pain medication I was on post-op.  Most likely it was a combination of all of the above and then some.  Either way, I welcomed this jaunt down memory lane.

I spent time visually drinking in these familiar surroundings and physically exploring every little nuance of the area.  Slowly I strolled about, breathing in the sights and sounds while expelling countless memories that seemed to be flooding to the surface of my mind.  I enjoyed seeing everything from the homes, the trees, the footprints on the sidewalk, the fences to the flowers just beginning to bloom.  I found myself replaying snippets of random, vivid memories that magically engulfed me in what felt like a big, comforting hug.  The overall feeling from the “hug” was that everything was going to be alright.   

As I walked, I was reminiscing about times on the “spur tracks,” which we frequented as kids and used as both a cut through and a place of adventure, imagination and exploration.

I ventured near the spot by the creek where we used to throw rocks and catch crawfish and the large pipe under the road where we used to sit, seemingly for hours, listening to cars drive overhead.  As I strode leisurely around the cul-de-sac where I lived, played, learned to ride a bike and so much more I imagined the games, the laughter, the good times and the bad in and amongst the shadowy yet colorful memories of friends, family and days long since passed.

I took photos of some of the homes and sent them to friends.  I recalled the giant Weeping Willow tree next door that used to proudly stand guard over all activities in our little cul-de-sac and the sweet, vibrant honeysuckle that used to grow in abundance near the tracks and smelled even better than it tasted.  I gave a nod to the old school bus stop on the corner and considered the fastest and slowest ways I would take to get to my best friend’s house.  In case you wondered, the best route was two fence jumps away, two minutes max.  The more scenic route was on my bike, which took about fifteen minutes.  Speaking of bikes, being a child of the 70’s and the typical “free range” kids who stayed outside until the streetlights came on, a bike was considered necessary equipment.  I spent the better part of my childhood on two wheels!  We didn’t have the internet or cell phones so if we wanted to know where everybody was hanging out, we just looked for the pile of bikes.  

It was nice to visit this place and the warm, comforting memories that accompanied it.  This area, along with my time and encounters here, helped to shape me into who I am today.  Both the good and the bad experiences were used as building blocks to equip me for some unforeseen things down the road.  I love that, even in bad experiences, God uses these encounters to teach, strengthen and guide us.  Where one branch might be “pruned off,” on your journey through life, two more grow back in their place that are even stronger and more vibrant.  God is the author of our stories and though you can’t truly ever go back, you can always cherish and revisit those special times and memories.  But keep looking ahead, and up, as God has bigger plans for you and the best is yet to come.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Did They Call

Written by Wanda Rodriguez

Written: April 17, 2026

Published: April 17, 2026

Wake up.  Check the phone.  Did they call?

Go to the gym.  Check the phone.  Did they call?

Climb into bed.  Check the phone. Did they call?

Go to work.  Run errands.  Make dinner. Visit with friends.  Pick up the kids. Go to church…

Check the phone. Did they call?

Go to sleep thinking about it.  Wake up thinking about it.

Always on my mind

Always checking

Always at the surface

Always distracted

wondering …

DID.  THEY.  CALL.

All too often, this is me.  Distracted by the actions, or inactions, of others.  Whether or not they call, text, or respond to something I sent or posted.  Why does it matter?  Why do I invest so much time and attention in wondering what someone else might have done?  Why do these thoughts so easily rise to the surface and hijack my attention?  Why do I pick up my phone “just to look” like it is a life-or-death message I am waiting on?  Why do I allow this device to rob me of being present?  I do not have a reasonable explanation for these questions.  It’s my understanding that we get a minute hit of dopamine when we see a reply that keeps us coming back for another emotional kick.   Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and hormone produced in our brains that helps regulate motivation, pleasure, and mood.  But what happens when there is no reply?  From my understanding, I do not believe that it reduces the levels of dopamine in our brains, but it can certainly lead to feeling depressed or frustrated and adversely redirect focus from tasks at hand.  Low levels of dopamine can naturally lead to reduced motivation, fatigue, mood swings, and poor concentration.  So, it makes sense that we might find ways to give that dopamine level a little jolt now and then, but at what cost?

It seems to me that you are looking at an endless loop with this approach.  Let’s say you wake focused and motivated about plans for the day ahead.  You are up and moving forward but first, you stop to check your messages.  Two things could happen here, the first might look like this, “Yes!  Hurray!”  There’s a message.  Joy!  (Cue dopamine!) You put your tasks on hold to respond, believing that you will get right back on it after sending. With a little spring in your step, you return to work, finding excuses for frequent checks on more replies. You find yourself growing increasingly frustrated, distracted and far less productive than originally anticipated.  Unbeknownst to the person you are waiting on, your feelings of frustration may unjustly extend to them. 

The second scenario would be that there is no message when you first check.  It’s momentarily annoying but it does not prevent you from returning to work.  Still, you find excuses to continue with periodic checks.  The cycle of distractions and frustrations continues.  Productivity drops. (No dopamine hit here!)

I am guilty of falling victim to this cycle.  Modern phones are a blessing and a curse.  It allows you to stay in touch with people, to gather and to share information, to shop, to learn, to play and so much more.   It is an amazing piece of technology! Alongside these countless gifts, however, there are countless distractions that dwell within this tiny device.  They are almost always available and accessible. This can easily interfere with our sleep, our views, and our productivity. 

When I woke up today, I first thanked God for the gift of another beautiful day and for all of the blessings ahead while simultaneously reaching for my phone to check messages wondering, “Did they call?”  Wait, what!?  Why was my attention divided?  My eyes were barely open and there I was, giving God a quick nod (obligatory?) and promptly diving in for a dopamine hit to help launch (or trip up) my day.  Why?  Perhaps it is out of habit, the convenience of immediate gratification (or frustration, as the case may be) or simple task avoidance.  It could be any of this and more, but one thing is clear, my priorities are definitely off center!  (Understatement!!)

The veils seemed to be lifted from my eyes in a moment of clarity.  I wouldn’t say God convicted me here as much as He gently comforted me.  Providing guidance and reassurance God seemed to be telling me….

I call to you

I send messages to you

I have written to you (the Bible)

I am here with you

I am a wealth of knowledge and information

I will guide and comfort you

I am always available

I am always accessible

I am your blessing, as you are mine

I am love

and

I am all you need

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NIV - 

¹⁶ But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.