When you stop being the only one holding the connection together, you finally have your hands free to receive the love God actually has for you — the kind that moves toward you without being begged.

God: I noticed you stopped trying to make them stay.

You: It was time.

You’re grieving the version of them you hoped they’d become.

– Jacqueline Whitney

God: I’m proud of you. That’s the kind of growth most people don’t reach. The ability to recognize when you’re chasing someone who’s already gone in spirit, even if they’re still physically present.

You: It hurt to stop.

God: I know. You spent so much energy trying to convince them to choose you. Trying to be enough. Trying to fix what wasn’t yours to fix. Stopping feels like grief because it is. You’re grieving the version of them you hoped they’d become.

You: Will I regret it?

God: No. You’ll feel the grief, but you won’t feel the regret. The regret comes from staying too long. From shrinking yourself to keep someone who couldn’t fully meet you. From convincing yourself that crumbs were enough.

You: What now?

God: Now you let yourself receive what doesn’t require convincing. Now you stop being the one fighting for the relationship. Now you let someone choose you the way you’ve been choosing them. The right people don’t need you to chase them. They walk toward you.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.