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There’s something sacred about the way we hold on to things that once made us feel alive. A person. A moment. A promise we thought might unfold differently.
For a while, that connection feels like a gift: wrapped beautifully, tied tightly with ribbons of laughter, chemistry, and late-night conversations that made you believe maybe this time would be different.
But sometimes what looks like a gift starts to feel like a grip.
You keep adjusting the bow, trying to make it sit just right. You tell yourself you can be patient, understanding, low-maintenance…basically anything to keep it from unraveling. Yet deep down, you feel the tension. You sense the pull between what you hoped for and what’s actually there.
And then one day, you realize the ribbon isn’t keeping the gift together anymore. It’s keeping you bound.
That’s the moment you face the choice. You can cut the ribbon in anger or despair – quick, final, and jagged – or you can choose to untie it.
Slowly.
Tenderly.
One loop at a time.
Untie the Bow
Untying doesn’t erase the memories or the meaning. It honors them. It says, This mattered. But it also says, So do I.
There’s heartbreak in that kind of release: the kind that doesn’t come from bitterness, but from bravery. You untie the ribbon not because you stopped caring, but because you started seeing.
Sometimes God asks us to let go not because the other person was wrong, but because the connection can’t carry the weight of who we’re both becoming. And that’s okay.
It’s not about losing the gift; it’s about finally unwrapping it and discovering what it taught you, what it awakened, and what it’s time to lay down.
So if your heart feels torn between holding on and healing, maybe it’s time to stop tugging at the knot and start untying it. Gently.
Prayerfully.
With gratitude instead of resentment.
Because the same hands that untie what’s no longer serving you are the ones that will be free to receive what’s next.
Reflection
Letting go isn’t weakness; it’s wisdom. It’s trusting that what’s meant for you will never need to be forced — and that the God who gifted you this connection can also guide you through its release.
Prayerformation
Father, help me release what I’ve been gripping so tightly. Teach me to untie, not tear. To honor what was without idolizing it. To make peace with the endings You allow, so I can be ready for the beginnings You’ve prepared.
Scripture:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens… a time to keep and a time to throw away.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1, 6
