Let it Be

I am writing this the night before yet another anniversary. Tomorrow will be two years to the day that my ex-husband and I separated. Six months ago, about the time I began this blog, I would have thought that tomorrow would leave me depressed and longing for some kind of hope. To my utter surprise, I am writing this post with a much different attitude. I now have a spirit of peace about me. As I look to the future, I know it is bright for both me and the toddler. Two years later, with a very peculiar change of thought, I can honestly say that I feel blessed to be divorced.

You see, I have had the opportunity to experience true love and then to have lost it. Because of this, I now have a far better understanding of what it takes to make love last. I look forward to the day that I am again blessed with love as I know that I will offer that love a better home. I have the opportunity to go back and make good on the hope, ambitions and dreams that I “gave up” when I married right out of college. My master’s program is going well (I have a 3.5 GPA). Graduation is still sometime away in December of 2011, but there is a light at the end of that tunnel. There are numerous other “blessings” that have come about because of this divorce. My parents are watching the toddler grow on a daily basis rather than being long distance grandparents. I have made new friends and reunited with old ones which has allowed me to feel God’s presence through caring relationships. I have matured mentally, emotionally and spiritually. The list goes on and on.

Most important, though, I have learned that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. For so long, I had felt as though I could only do things if there was someone else to support me. At first, it was a parent, then friends and finally a husband that I clung to for approval. I now know that the only approval I need is His. With that knowledge, I feel almost invincible. And, truth be told, as long as what I am doing is for Him, I am invincible. No… really… I am. That is what Philippians 4:13 means.

To HIM be the Glory!!

With all that said, when thinking about this post, I kept thinking of a Beatles song. I know, what you are thinking…this is a devotion that is supposed to be related to God and I am using a song by the Beatles. I am well aware the life choices that were / are made by the members of the group and that a lot of those decisions are not in keeping with what one might term a “Christian Lifestyle.” I even know that in an interview John Lennon actually stated that Christianity is dying and that “the Beatles are more popular than Jesus.” I am also aware that they were arguably the best musical group to ever exist and it just so happens that they wrote a song that fits perfectly with today’s post. So here goes…

The year was 1968. Johnson was serving his last year as president. The Tet Offensive began in January. On April 4th, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis. Then on June 5th in Los Angeles, Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The Civil Rights Movement and Anti-War demonstrations had reached a fevered pitch. Students were rioting in France. Greece had just experienced a military coup. Israel and all the surrounding countries were trying to blow one another off the planet. Nixon was narrowly elected president in November. It was a rough year. On a slightly lesser historical note, the Beatles were on the verge of breaking up. The group was weathering public divorces, drug charges and arrests, failed movies, and record deals gone bad. Paul McCartney composed “Let It Be” late in 1968 after having a dream of his late mother, Mary. In the dream his mother, who had died when he was just 14, had advised him to let the turmoil go.


The lyrics to "Let it Be:"
When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree,
there will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see,
there will be an answer. let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....

And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light, that shines on me,
shine until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music, mother Mary comes to me,
speaking words of wisdom, let it be.

Let it be, let it be, .....


McCartney was unable to be responsible for all the turmoil of that year both in the world, his band or his life. Ultimately, at some point, we have to “let it be,” too. At some point, we have to relinquish the turmoil that is in our lives. God knew that Paul McCartney, The Beatles, President Johnson, you and I would be unable to bear the burden of turbulence in our lives. That is why He gave us the following:

"Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7

Psalm 46:10 as translated by me, says, “relax and know that God can take care of all the stuff I can’t.” 1 Peter 5:7 as translated by me states “Don’t worry, be happy ‘cuz God loves you a lot.” (That one should be read with a Jamaican accent.) And Psalm 116:7 says, “no matter what you have experienced, or will experience you can rest and find peace in the goodness that is God.” This all may seem a little simplistic, but for me, the only thing left to do is let it – whatever it is – just let it be.