Saturday, on my way out the library door, I grabbed a book on display, a last minute checkout. Napoleon Hill's Action Activities for Health, Wealth & Happiness.
Turns out, one story of the humane capture of monkeys in Africa had a lesson for me regarding holding on to possessions. Here is how it works. Food is placed in a container with an opening big enough for a monkey's paw to reach inside. When the chimp grabs the treat, it naturally makes a fist around the banana, nuts, or whatever the temptation may be. Now it's stuck because in order to go free, he must let go. His fist can't pass through the opening. The "trap" is too heavy to carry around, and the monkey sits there, holding on to the treat. Stuck by his own desires, he is then easily captured.
The lesson is relatable. Sometimes we can carry around our problems and stubbornly refuse to give them up. When help is offered, we tighten our grip, afraid of the results if we let go. Arrogantly thinking we know what's best, stops people from ever acquiring anything better. It prevents many people from becoming who they might have been.
The book points out, the monkey's paw can also represent our possessions. Afraid to release what we have to those who could put it to better use, we hang on letting our possessions control us. Like the monkey, we have to release our hold on things before the Universe can bring freedom into our lives. Letting go and letting God is a hard lesson to learn, but if we don't, we'll never advance to the new life that could be waiting for us.
The lesson ends with a suggestion. Think about anything in your life that inhibits your growth or freedom. Like the monkey, it occurs because you allow it to occur.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Yesterday's mail drove this letting go message home. A notecard photo of a cute chimp with his fist free in a promo packet. Angelic timing. It looks like the little monkey is free to be, having let go. When we lessen our stronghold on life often we may be surprised by an abundance, a thanksgiving table of all the good God has to offer.
Remember whatever you're going through, you are never alone. You are in the company of God's angels. The best is yet to be.
Love and peace,
Rae Karen
