Monday, September 15, 2008

If You Love Something, Set It Free...

I have always thought the quote went as follows:


"If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be." There is another version to the quote that reads as follows:


"If you love something set it free. If it returns, it's yours forever; if not, it was never meant to be."


Both of these phrases mean the same thing. What exactly does this mean? This has been the question on my mind for a few weeks now. First of all I have to ask myself, if I love something, why would I set it free? I don't know the answer to that question today and I may never know the answer to that question. What I do know is that if things are meant to happen, they will find a way to work out. Sometimes it takes "setting something free" to reap the blessings or benefits of whatever it was that was set free. In the long run, things are worth the wait if they are meant to be.


To me the phrase "setting free" means to let go of something. Whether that is a person, an object, an animal, love or something material, that thing must be removed from the current setting or scenario. So once you have let go of whatever it was, then what? The next step is waiting. Yes, waiting. As hard as it is to wait for something, that is part of the process. But without the "waiting" phase, the end result cannot be determined. While in the "waiting phase" take time to reflect on what is was that was let go, why it was let go, and what the purpose of letting that thing go was.


You will find the answer to why it was let go but not always the purpose of why it was let go. Often times we may never know the purpose but that is ok. If God wants us to know the purpose, He will show us the purpose. So what is next? First you let it go and then you wait.


Then it's time to reflect on your life and yourself for a change. Take time to learn who you really are, what is really important in life, and what changes you need to make in your life to make you a better person. Once you discover who you really are, things seem to be clearer than they have in a long time. Once things are clear, then you can ultimately make decisions about your situation without rushing into a decision or jumping into something you will later regret.


Then comes the part of whether that something you let go will come back or not. Again, IF IT IS MEANT TO COME BACK, IT WILL. And if not, it won't. If that something you set free is something you cannot live without, then do what it takes to get that something back. And don't stop until you accomplish your goals. Sometimes you might have to make sacrifices you never thought possible, or make changes you never dreamed of. But again if the something is worth everything to you, then it is worth the sacrifices or changes that have to be made.


If you realize the thing you let go is something you can live without, then move on and be grateful that you did not waste more time or your life away on the thing you set free. Be grateful you have another chance to find the right thing in your life. Be grateful that you didn't make a rash decision that you will live to regret and have to deal with the consequences.


If we love something enough to set it free and it comes back to us, it will better than it ever was because it will be ours. If it doesn't come back, then it was meant for us to have something else and not that particular thing.


It is all already determined for us whether we realize it or not. If we stay true to what direction God sends us, he will show us what is meant to be and what is meant to be set free.



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