You’re not the grief. You’re not the trauma. You’re not the version of yourself who needed it to survive.

God: You can put that down now.

You: Put what down?

You’re not the version of yourself who needed it to survive. You’re someone new now.

– Jacqueline Whitney

God: What you’ve been carrying. The thing that was once yours that you’re still gripping out of habit. The version of yourself you’ve already grown out of but keep dragging with you. The pain that already served its purpose.

You: I didn’t realize I was still holding it.

God: That’s how it works. Some things become so familiar that you forget you’re carrying them. You confuse the weight with who you are. But it’s not who you are. It’s just what you’ve been holding.

You: What if I don’t know who I am without it?

God: You will. That’s the whole point of putting it down. You can’t discover who you are now while you’re still defined by what you used to carry. The weight has been telling you a story about yourself that isn’t true anymore.

You: It feels scary to let it go.

God: I know. Anything you’ve carried this long feels like part of you. But it’s not. You’re not the grief. You’re not the trauma. You’re not the version of yourself who needed it to survive. You’re someone new now. You can put it down. It’s not yours to carry anymore.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.