(NOTE: I wrote this Monday night... it has taken me until Tuesday night to post it. Yes, I have a problem.)


I have 23 minutes to write this post. Why? Because the next episode of Castle is on.


What can I say that's worth reading in 23 minutes? Excellent question. (Being the typical insecure writer-sort, I frequently question whether anything I write is worth reading.) But that's neither here nor there... oops, down to 21 minutes.

This week's A2Z take 2 letter (for me, anyway) is the letter Q. The letter we dread getting in Words With Friends and Scrabble games because it's worth a tremendous number of points but is almost useless without a complementary letter U.

So what does Q stand for in my life right now? Quit.

Huh? Isn't that a bad word? Isn't quitting the very thing we are supposed to resist until the end of time?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes we need to quit a few things.
Are you a smoker? An overeater? An overachiever? You probably need to quit.

Is the project, manuscript, assignment, relationship, or job you're in going nowhere, bearing no fruit, or sucking the life out of you? You probably need to quit.

Not quit writing, or being a Christian, or your marriage, or a friendship ... just quit pouring (wasting)  energy and time on those activities that have come to an end. In my experience, Christians have the hardest time of anyone "letting things go" and "setting things aside" (synonyms for "quitting").

Our belief in the power of faith to change people, situations, circumstances, and our own limitations, weaknesses, and desires makes us reluctant to call a time of death on something we believe the Holy Spirit led us into. After all, if it dies on our watch... that makes us failures, right? Wrong.

(11 minutes remaining)
 
While I believe in a sovereign God, I believe He has sovereignly given man free will to determine his/her destiny. That said, there are times and situations we will be "led" into that will not produce the kinds of results our natural minds expect because free will is involved. Everyone has the right to respond or reject the invitation of God, whether to salvation or to ministry or to a church family.


(4 minutes... the clock is ticking, can I do it?)

My conclusion? We need to learn how to quit, because if you are like me, coming to the point of quitting is to enter the realm of the unknown. How do you quit something (a toxic relationship, a church assignment, or a God-assigned job) with grace?

Suggestions?
Thus far, my personal "quitting" method — avoidance — has been effective, yet guilt-provoking.
Anyone have any better tactics?

Time for Castle... what do you need to quit? Do you have a quitting plan?

 For more awesome, excellent A2Z Take 2 posts (Thank you, Patty Wysong, for keeping my blog alive during this time of crazy life transitions!) click the nifty pic below...