So I love dogs, absolutely love them. They are so beautiful to me. The unconditional love, kisses, and attention just warms my heart. Ever since I was little I have been utterly obsessed. I'm now a groomer and I get to work with so many different types of dogs on a daily. I can be with dogs as big as Bernese mountain dogs to itty bitty chihuahuas. I don't know why but the other day I caught myself saying something that I say almost every single day, "Let me have it."

Nail trims are considered a walk-in service at my job meaning there's no appointment for it, you can come in anytime and ask for one. So I do them frequently. I was doing these greyhounds nails which were SO overgrown. Long, curvy, and cracking due to the length. To the point, the dog was walking funny. The process is pretty simple: get the dog on the table, secure him and then get the paw in your hand and start clipping. Now some dogs are easy.. not going to fight you and let you do the nails. Other dogs... lol they will not and I caught myself saying to the greyhound, "Come on, let me have it."

And for some reason it hit differently I started laughing because of the instant revelation of what I was saying and also because of the fact I had something to write about so my editor wouldn't kill me. LET ME HAVE IT.

So simple, yet so profound. Now in the greyhound's situation, he absolutely needed to let me do his nails because the pain of would have been much worse if they continued to grow towards his paw. He eventually stopped pulling and thrashing his body enough for me to cut them. After I put him back on the ground, he licked me and got excited, his feet no longer tap-danced as he walked.

It got me just thinking how many times I've held onto things that didn't benefit me and God was asking, "Let me have it." How many times I've let painless situations grown until it became a source of pain. How many times God asked me to surrender to him things I begged to hold on to.

The pain was never a keeper but a teacher. We hold on to things with the idea that it's ours forever. Whether it would be a person, a job or thing. God is begging us to let him have the things we Place such importance on and surrender it to him. Every instance in the Bible God has taken anything he didn't give back 10x better. Whatever it is you're holding onto today, the thing you're afraid to release. The pain you're scared to unravel. The fear you're afraid to confront. The depression you're conflicted to talk about it. God is here and saying, "let me have it." Because truly it was never yours to carry.

He makes beauty from ashes.

God himself had to give up something to get something greater. He surrendered his son to gain our hearts. Giving your all to God never leaves you empty-handed. And even if it does, empty hands have the best opportunity to receive blessings. But it's not about the blessings or the get back, it's really about the surrender.

Let him have it.