Freedom Over Control: What I Let Go to Step Into What’s Next

Every December, people start talking about peace.

Peace of mind. Peace in the home. Peace in the world.

But this year, I realized something deeper. Something heavier. Something more honest:

What many of us truly want isn’t just peace. It’s freedom.

Freedom from the pressure to be okay when we’re not.

Freedom from the need to explain ourselves.

Freedom from cycles we’ve outgrown but keep entertaining.

Freedom from pretending we’re not tired.

Freedom to heal in ways that actually work for us.

And if I’m being completely honest, this year broke me open in ways I didn’t expect. But I thank God it did.

I Couldn’t Compartmentalize My Way Through This One

This year, I didn’t have the option to “push through.”

Not emotionally.

Not spiritually.

Not even physically.

I lost my father—one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced—and while grieving him, I had to reflect on everything I’d ever carried from him.

But something changed this time.

I didn’t rush to distract myself. I didn’t bury my feelings. I didn’t drown in productivity.

I faced it. I felt it. I processed it.

I asked God to help me walk through it—not around it.

And in that sacred space, I learned something life-altering:

Peace is a result. Freedom is a decision.

What I Had to Let Go

This wasn’t the year of “more.”It was the year of less but better.

Letting go of…

• Control disguised as planning

• Old patterns that no longer serve me

• Expectations of what healing “should” look like

  
  

I used to think healing meant everything had to make sense. Now I understand that healing often starts with a single choice: letting go of what’s not mine to carry anymore.

The Year-End Mirror

Maybe you’re like me. Maybe this year tried to take you out.

But I want you to pause right here and ask yourself:

• What am I struggling to hold onto that God has been nudging me to release?

• What barriers have I normalized that are actually blocking my breakthrough?

• What would shift in my spirit if I finally gave myself permission to not be in control?

  
  

Sometimes we don’t realize just how much we’ve been functioning in survival mode until something forces us to slow down. Or… until we choose to.

Freedom Looks Like This

There’s a line in one of my favorite movies, Pretty Woman, that says:

“I say who, I say when, I say who.”

It’s a line about taking your power back—and that’s what this year gave me.

Not in the way I expected. But in the way I needed.

For me, freedom looked like:

• Giving God full control over how I show up in this next season.

• Redefining what healing looks like, even when others don’t understand.

• Embracing stillness without feeling guilty.

• Releasing the timeline and trusting the process.

  
  

I lost my daddy this year—but I gained a deeper connection with my Father. And in that, I found strength, softness, and direction all over again.

Call to Reflection: What Are You Taking Into 2026?

Before the ball drops and the resolutions roll in, I want to challenge you to answer this:

Is it peace you’re craving—or freedom?

Because peace comes after the release. And freedom starts with a decision.

As you prepare for the new year, don’t just set goals. Set yourself free.

Free to stop performing.

Free to rest.

Free to change your mind.

Free to trust God differently this time.

Free to walk away from what you’ve outgrown.

Free to become who He always knew you were.

You don’t need to do more in 2026.

You need to be freer.