There’s a line from an old spiritual writer that has stayed with me:
“Hold everything with a light touch.”
It sounds simple, almost gentle—but it’s actually a bold invitation.
Because when fear creeps in, our instinct is to grip.
We cling to control.
We clutch our plans.
We tighten our fists around outcomes, people, expectations, even our own sense of identity.
And closed hands can’t receive anything.
When our hands are clenched, our hearts usually are too. We brace ourselves against disappointment or uncertainty, and without realizing it, we make it harder for Christ to enter the very places where we need Him most.
But open hands tell a different story.
Open hands say: I’m willing to trust. I’m willing to release. I’m willing to let God be God.
Open hands signal a heart that is ready to be held, guided, and strengthened.
They make room for grace.
So pause for a moment and ask yourself—not as a judgment, but as a gentle, honest question:
What am I holding onto too tightly today?
A fear
A relationship
A responsibility
A regret
A future you’re trying to control
A wound you keep revisiting
A story you’re afraid to rewrite
Whatever it is, name it.
Then ask the question again, a little deeper this time: What would it look like to hand this over to God?
Not to abandon it.
Not to pretend it doesn’t matter.
But to let God carry what you were never meant to hold alone.
Maybe today is the day to loosen your grip.
To open your hands.
To let Christ take hold of you instead.
Smitten With Goodness 