Depression
Natives of some South Sea Islands use a unique method of capturing monkeys. They cut a small hole in the top of a coconut and insert some nuts inside, then chain the coconut to a tree trunk. The monkeys instinctively reach into the hollowed out coconut and grasp a fistful of nuts, but find that their closed fists full of nuts are too large to pull out of the small hole. Yet the monkeys refuse to release their fistfuls of nuts, so they are easily captured.
Like the stupid monkeys, many humans refuse to let go. They cling to their worries, their problems, and their fears, and never seem to be able to let go of these negative burdens and let God handle them. They would rather struggle than surrender.
This surrender or relinquishment of our problems to the Lord is ultimately not just abandonment of our negativity, but abandonment of our very self to the Lord in holy trust. Such total and unremitting self-abandonment is not a form of weakness but of strength. It’s not a cowardly refusal to struggle with life’s unfavorable issues; it’s a strong reliance on the Lord rather than on ourselves. The motto of a spiritual movement called “Let’s Be Saints” is the slogan, “Let go--let God!” It epitomizes, in the context of consummate trust, the noble virtue of self-abandonment to the Lord--a virtue that delights him immensely, and one that reaps a special heavenly reward.
When facing the adversities of life, our usual tendency is to hold on and struggle, worry, manipulate, and fight our way out of the adversity by ourselves. Often, it isn’t until we become weary in our struggles and can see no other solution that we’re forced to let go and let God work things out his way. The Lord is patiently watching us in our lonely, self-occupied struggle and beckons us to just let go so that he can handle the matter. Then, and only then, can we be free from the stress of worrisome issues. Even though we can’t see what lies ahead, God knows his plans for our future and is holding us in the palm of his hand.
The Gaelic godsend formulates this as a prayer: “May the Lord keep you in the palm of his hand, and never close his fist!” We need not try to control the uncontrollable; he takes care of that impossibility. Trusting in him affords us the delight of living peacefully in the embrace of his ceaseless love and unrelenting support. If you want the best, let the Lord do the shopping!
This excerpt is from the book Pathways of Trust, by John H. Hampsch,C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and tapes can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.