The Grace of Open Hands
- Feb 26
- 6 min read
How often do we miss out on God’s best because we’re too busy holding onto our own burdens? Originally shared at the Women of Faith workshop in January 2026 at Garden Valley Church of Christ, this piece explores the difficult but beautiful charge to let go. It was born out of a personal realization that I couldn't accept the gifts God was offering me while my hands were still full of things I was never meant to carry. If you’ve been feeling the weight of the world on your back lately, I invite you to set aside the 'Superwoman' cape for a moment and join me in discovering the grace that can only be found with open hands.
The Grace of Open Hands
by Katrina Salicrup-Darneille
The Gift at the Door
Good morning. It’s a blessing and an honor to be in this room fellowshipping with so many sisters in Christ. Before I start, I’d like to begin with a prayer.
Heavenly Father, thank You for this day and for the sisters in Christ gathered here. Bless those who came to listen. Bless our speakers and their words. Bless all the women who worked diligently to put this event together. May our fellowship be pleasing to You. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
As you know, the topic we are exploring today is HOPE. But what is hope—biblically speaking? Hope is the confident, joyful expectation that God will be faithful to His promises, regardless of our current circumstances.
In Hebrews 6:19, the writer calls hope "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast."
Hope is the anchor that keeps our souls from drifting into fear when we face uncertainty and things get messy. When we trust that Jesus not only can, but will hold us steady, we can “endure all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:7)
To begin, I’d like to ask you all to imagine a scenario with me.
“Picture yourself walking through the front door after an exhausting day.
In your left hand, you are lugging a heavy bag called The Past. It’s filled to the brim with regrets, "if onlys," and hurts that haven't quite healed. In your right hand, you are gripping an equally heavy bag called Control. The bags are overflowing with worries about your children, your health, your finances, and your endless "to-do" list.
You’re holding onto these two bags with everything you’ve got—your knuckles are white from the strain. We all know that feeling. It’s like when you try to carry every single grocery bag from the car in one trip; you're determined to make it, even while the plastic is digging into your palms and your fingers are starting to ache.
You struggle to open the door and finally step inside, still clutching your bags.
Suddenly, you hear a noise. You look up, and standing right in front of you is Jesus. He is holding out a gift: a box filled with Hope. He smiles and offers it to you.
But here’s the rub: You can’t reach out and take the gift. You can’t grasp the hope He’s offering because your hands are full. To take what He is offering, you have to drop what you’re carrying.”
So… How do we do that? Well, we can start by “letting go of former things.”
Letting Go of Former Things
Because the first bag we must drop to accept the gift that Jesus is offering, is the past.
In Isaiah 43:18-19 we read:
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.” - Isaiah 43:18-19
For the younger women here, the "former things" might be a mistake from your 20s that you’re still letting define you. For the older women, it might be "the way things used to be" or the grief of seasons gone by. Wherever you are on your walk, I encourage you to take heart.
God is with you— and He is making a road for you through the wilderness—right now.
But if we are focused on the past, we will undoubtedly struggle to see the hope of what lies ahead. Think of it this way: you can’t drive a car forward if your eyes are glued to the rearview mirror. You will eventually crash. And sadly, many of us have blindly crashed into the present because we were focused on the past.
Your past is not your future—Jesus offers us a clean slate. When we drop our bags at the foot of the cross, He takes them up and redeems them. He will use the very wilderness you wandered in to show you His power to provide—if you let Him.
Letting Go of Control
Which brings me to the second bag: Control.
For women especially, the need for control is often born out of love—for our families, our friends, our congregation. However well-meaning it is, all too often it becomes a misguided attempt to ensure they follow the path we think is best.
In Proverbs 3:5-6 we read:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6
The Bible tells us to place our trust in the Lord, rather than leaning on our own understanding. I have to admit, this is one I personally struggle with–
But, the truth is, some things simply are as they are, despite our best intentions and our deepest prayers. There comes a moment when we must realize that while we can love one another without limit, we cannot control (or bear the responsibility for) the decisions of other adults. We can offer our help and our hearts, but we must eventually move our hands out of the way so that God can do His work in their lives.
Moving our hands doesn’t mean we stop showing up; it just means we stop trying to be the source of all the answers. To me, this is the beauty of the Gospel in motion.
You see, when we allow a sister to step in and help us carry a heavy load, we aren't being a 'bother' or showing weakness—we are actually giving her the opportunity to fulfill Christ’s command to “love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35)-- we are allowing the Body of Christ to function the way He intended. And when we do, we can trade the burden of 'doing it all' for the grace of being loved and supported.
But we can’t come together and build that strength if we are still white-knuckling our circumstances and trying to manage every outcome on our own. And if we’re being honest with each other—we’re tired. I know I am. We’ve been carrying these bags for so long that we’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to walk without extra weight.
Wouldn’t it be a gift to just set them down and breathe for a moment? To be the one who is comforted and encouraged for a change? When we drop the bag of control, we are finally free to receive the rest Jesus promised in Matthew 11: 28-30 when He said:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” - Matthew 11: 28-30
You don't have to be "Superwoman." You don't have to be the "Family Fixer." You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your back. If you need to hear this today, here it is:
Let it go.
Whatever is robbing your peace, turn it over to Jesus and let Him handle it. Take a well-deserved break from the storm. Let your sisters in Christ shelter you. Remember, we are all in this together.
The Peace That Guards Us
Before I conclude, I’d like to revisit the opening scenario. There you are. Standing in the doorway, looking at Jesus....
Now, look down at your hands.
Imagine them open and empty.
The heavy bags are on the floor at the feet of Jesus, and He is smiling.
You can finally reach out and accept the gift. And what a gift it is!
I don’t know about you, but I’d sure like to trade my heavy bags of worry and regret for a clean slate and the Gift of Hope! The Good News is that, as Christians, through Jesus’ love and sacrifice, we can do exactly that.
I’d like to leave you with one more scripture before I close. It’s from Philippians 4:6-7—and in it, is a message I hope inspires us all as we leave this conference today:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4: 6-7
• Closing Prayer
May the young women find courage in the wisdom of the older, and may the older women find joy in the energy of the young. I pray we all leave here today abounding in peace, hope, and love. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen.
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