In a recent post, I wrote about abundance in the midst of harvest season. I want to circle back to one idea that has been lingering as we head full swing into fall. One of the most surprising ways we experience abundance is through giving away or letting go. This intrigues me.
When I hoard or try to control, I end up losing the very thing I’m afraid to release. When we surrender to God, we end up with so much more of the right thing.
Think about the seasons. The trees don’t cling to every leaf for dear life, as if it’s their last. They let go, trusting spring will bring new growth. The farmer doesn’t white knuckle every seed in fear of not having enough, they scatter it into the soil, trusting that the viable will multiply. Creation runs on the principle that abundance flows when we release.
Abundance Produces Rest
Here’s something else that came together for me. Harvest reminds me that abundance and rest go hand in hand. After the gathering comes the slowing. As autumn shifts to winter, the land is stays still. The days grow shorter, colder, darker. We stay inside and keep warm. The soil rests, the trees sleep, and our bodies crave slower rhythms.
So what is it that keeps us clinging to control or striving for more? Can we let go and release into the season instead of the constant push to produce?
For me, there is a deep fear that somehow my life won’t go the way I’ve scripted it. I hold tightly to my expectations, because loosening my grip feels like a risk.
Letting go aligns with the feminine virtue of receiving and surrendering. It’s fascinating to consider this dichotomy in relation to certain behaviors. As a woman, it’s a needed reminder that to be in the feminine is to release, not to strive. For men, perhaps this comes less naturally. And yet, Scripture says we are all (men and women) the bride of Christ. In that identity, we are cared for, protected, and provided for. God is in control so that we don’t have to be.
He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine… (Ephesians 3:20)
Letting go is not a weakness. It’s trust. It’s unclenching our fists so that our hands are open to receive what God has already prepared.
Our bodies know this truth too. When I let go, it sends a signal to my nervous system that I can relax, that it will all be okay. Letting go is an act of abundance because it reminds us that we don’t need to hold everything together because God already does.
So one invitation this harvest season is to release what you’re clinging to, make space for the more abundant thing waiting to arrive, and step into the rhythm of rest that winter offers.
Reflection
Here are a few reflection questions to consider…
Where am I trying to control outcomes that aren’t mine to carry?
What fear keeps me from fully surrendering?
What small release (of clutter, time, expectations) could open space for more peace and joy?
Where in my daily rhythms could I practice “exhaling” to remind myself that abundance is found in God’s provision rather than in my striving?
I’d love to hear what you are reflecting on.
Closing Prayer
God, I release my need to control.
Where I’ve been clinging in fear, teach me to trust You.
Help me rest in the truth that You provide, protect, and care for me.
Show me what I need to let go of in this season,
so my hands and heart are open to receive Your abundance.
Amen.