Letting Go with Grace – A Story About the Stone
There once was a woman who carried a stone in her pocket.
It wasn’t very big—not at first. It fit in the palm of her hand and barely weighed anything. She picked it up the day someone broke a promise they were never supposed to break. She didn’t know what else to do with the pain, so she put it in her pocket.
She told herself she’d let it go eventually.
But time passed, and she added another.
A careless word. A betrayal. A silence that said too much. A memory that stung. A decision she regretted making. One by one, the stones grew. And though she no longer remembered the weight of her empty pocket, she did feel the pull in her step, the ache in her back, and the tiredness in her soul.
People saw her smile, but they didn’t see the stones.
God did.
The Invitation to Lay it Down
One day, while walking a familiar path, she came across a man sitting beside a small stream.
He looked up and smiled—kind, knowing, and impossibly gentle.
He didn’t ask for an explanation. He didn’t rush her. He simply said:
“You look tired. Would you like to rest here a while?”
And she did.
She sat beside the stream, feeling the cool air on her face. For the first time in a long time, she noticed how heavy her pockets had become.
He didn’t pry, but He noticed.
“You can lay them down here,” He said, nodding to the stream.
“Not because they didn’t matter, but because you do.”
Forgiveness Feels Like Surrender
She hesitated.
The stone in her hand had been there so long, it felt like part of her. Letting it go wasn’t just an act—it was grief. It was admitting it hurt. That it changed her.
And yet… something deeper stirred.
It wasn’t weakness to let go. It was trust.
The moment the stone slipped from her hand into the stream, something unexpected happened. It didn’t vanish. But the weight of it was no longer hers to carry. The water took it into a place she didn’t need to follow.
And she breathed.
The Stones We Carry
You may not carry stones in your pocket—but maybe you carry stories.
Maybe you carry a name you don’t say out loud anymore.
Maybe you carry a memory that replays at night when the world is quiet.
Maybe you carry the weight of forgiving someone who never said sorry—or forgiving yourself for something you wish you could undo.
If so, friend, you’re not alone.
Jesus still sits beside the stream.
He still looks up with kindness in His eyes.
And He still says:
“You can lay it down here. Not because it didn’t matter—but because you do.”
Forgiveness Isn’t Forgetting—it’s Freedom
The woman walked away lighter that day.
Not because every wound had healed instantly, but because she no longer bore them alone.
Forgiveness didn’t erase the past.
It opened the door to a different future.
One with fewer stones. One with space to dance again. To breathe again. To love again.
Letting go wasn’t the end of her story.
It was the beginning.
What Are You Still Carrying?
If you’re reading this and something inside you whispers, “That’s me”—then take heart. This is not the end of your story either.
Maybe the pain is recent.
Maybe it’s old and buried deep.
Maybe the hardest person to forgive is staring back at you in the mirror.
Whatever it is… it matters.
And so do you.
But you weren’t meant to carry it forever.
Let the Water Carry It
Letting go doesn’t mean you excuse what happened.
It means you release your grip so you can be free.
It means you trust God to carry what you no longer can.
And sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do is whisper, “God, help me let this go—even if I don’t know how yet.”
That whisper?
That’s the beginning of healing.
A Gentle Next Step
We created Letting Go with Grace for this very reason.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about process.
Each day, the devotional gently guides you through scripture, honest reflection, and prayer—helping you take one small step at a time toward forgiveness, healing, and peace.
Whether you’re forgiving someone else or learning how to forgive yourself, you don’t have to do it alone.
Jesus still meets us beside the stream.
He’s ready when you are.
