Have you ever held on to something that no longer felt right in your life because it was once either really important or served a meaningful purpose? Maybe you’re still holding on. Maybe there’s someone in your life who once rescued you from a dark period who has since turned toxic and negative. Maybe your job, which swooped in at just the right time and saved you from an eviction now feels like it’s sucking the life out of you.
Whatever the situation might be, take comfort in knowing that you are certainly not alone. I’ve come to find that we all hold on to things which have long since served their purpose because at one point they were important. We stick around due to loyalty. We try to continue to force puzzle pieces into places they no longer fit. We think if we move on, we’re somehow discrediting a special season in our lives. But the truth is, not everything or everyone is meant to be a long-term player in your life.
Lifeboats are meant to be temporary transportation.
They are built to carry you from danger to a point of safety.
You are not supposed to unpack and live in your lifeboat. You’re not supposed to drag it out of the water and carry it with you into whatever chapter of your life comes next. You’re supposed to appreciate it for what it was, be thankful for it, and move on.
Letting go of the lifeboats in my life has been hard. I left a job a couple of years ago that quite literally saved my family. When I think back to the moment I sat across from my boss in that first in-person interview, I get teary-eyed because I know God put me there in that moment to save me. And only 18 months later, I sat across from that same boss sobbing, explaining that it was time for me to move on. That lifeboat scooped me up in my time of need and delivered me safely into a new season of my life. And it was important to cut it loose in order to evolve, learn, and grow.
Walking away from something doesn’t mean you didn’t appreciate it. It doesn’t mean you didn’t enjoy it. And it certainly doesn’t mean you don’t love it. But if we all unpacked and lived forever in the boats that were only ever meant to be temporary transport, think how much we’d miss out on.
Life is about seasons. And the older I get, the more I learn to appreciate each season for what is. I had a friend tell me once when I was in college that every year would go by quicker than the one before it. Each year we live is a smaller percentage of our life than the year before. So it only makes sense that the seasons in our adult lives seem to pass much quicker than those from our childhood.
These days, seasons seem to end so abruptly that it can leave us bewildered and short of breath. And before we know it, we’re sailing along in a lifeboat towards a season we didn’t see coming. And while it can be tough to find our footing as we step carefully from that lifeboat, take comfort in knowing you’ve just been delivered to safety.
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