Kendra's Favorite Things

I've always loved this story and it's so fitting for so many situations. Enjoy! 

"In India monkey meat is a delicacy. Hunters found it particularly easy to capture monkeys. All they had to do was to get a relatively large coconut, one that a monkey would not be able to lift, drill a hole in the coconut ... the hole should just be big enough to fit a monkey's hand in. THEN empty it of its juice, polk in a few pieces of fruit or nuts into the coconut, and then leave the coconut where the monkey can see it and just wait.

What was guaranteed is the monkey would come down and investigate its contents, and when the monkey would reach in, it was certain that the monkey would grab as many pieces of fruit or nuts as it could hold in its hand.  However the hole is not large enough to bring out the bounty...the monkey's hand was able to go in but would not come out with a fistful of food. It has never failed as monkeys would never think to LET GO of the fistful of food to escape. It would be weighted to the ground, the coconut acting as a ball and chain, and it won't be able to climb the nearest tree to make its escape.

This is the point of choice to LET GO and LIVE, or HANG ON and DIE.

How many of you have held on to a relationship, a situation, a job that was killing you day by day, but you simply could not let go of the coconut meat long enough to "pull out" of that situation? As hard as it may be, sometimes you must BACK AWAY from something you have been HANGING ONTO, so that you cannot only feel ALIVE but you can THRIVE in a much better place."

When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.