Gentle Letting Go

I sometimes have a potty mouth and I tend to fall easily into negative words when my spiritual tank is a quart low. I am getting better and better at recognizing when my language and thoughts are not in alignment with how I want to show up in the world as a minister.
During my final days of training before I became ordained I gave this A LOT of thought. I am, by no means, striving for any level of perfection. To do so would completely undermine all I want to be as a minister in the world. I want to be the real me; weird sense of humor and all. AND I do want to be a true extension of God in the world and this gives me a sense of responsibility to think about my choices and behavior.
My relationship with God is amazing and His sense of humor, as I experience it, is just a goofy as mine…a little dry sometimes which cracks me up even more. So when I went in mediation to look at my language and negativity God gave me a cool way to let it go.

I saw myself looking up into the sky at a big giant bin filled with word bubbles, like in the comics. Each bubble had words on it; some positive thoughts, some negative phrases and some of my favorite curse words, oooh I love some of my curse words. I saw myself walking up the stairs until I was standing behind the giant bin of words looking down into it.
I picked out the bubbles with the words I didn’t want to use and tied a string to them. I lifted them out of the bin and let them slowly float down and out of site. I released them, let them go.
Does this mean they will NEVER show up again? Uh NO! But, if they do sneak back in I will simply take them by the string and release them again. I will not beat myself up, be harsh about slipping up or feel ashamed that I didn’t do it perfectly. After all, I’m human!
What do you want to release? Maybe letting them float away might work for you or you could ask God how you can let go.

Just remember to be kind in the process.