This summer, I’ve been doing some hiking with my sister-in-law. I love breathing deeply of the forest air. I'm also learning a lot, as my sister in-law is quite knowledgeable with plants and trees. Afterwards, we always remind each other to check for ticks. I'm glad we do, because last week, she found three of them! It’s amazing how something so small can go unnoticed and yet cause so much harm, sometimes for years.

Not all things that cling to us are physical creatures. Sometimes they are spiritual, and can also cause us harm.

Some things, like old habits or unkind words we wish we could take back are obvious. We know they’re not healthy, and even if we struggle to let them go, we are aware of them.

But often, the most harmful things are the ones we don’t notice right away. A quiet grudge we keep nursing because it makes us feel justified. A bit of gossip we didn’t mean to spread, but didn’t stop either, because it made us feel included. A poor attitude, that quietly drains our energy. A subtle resentment that feels like self-protection but slowly hardens our hearts.

These things are spiritual parasites. Like ticks, they don't announce themselves with fanfare. They slip in through moments of pain or fatigue or fear. And once inside, they feed on our energy, our compassion, our imagination, and our clarity. They distort our vision of others. They make us suspicious when we should be curious, and guarded when we could be open. They tell us we’re safer disconnected.

Slowly, quietly, they separate us from the flow of love and grace that sustains real connection with God, with others, and even with our truest selves.

And there’s more. Research has shown that holding onto grudges, anger, or chronic resentment can actually impact our physical health, raising blood pressure, weakening immune function, and increasing the risk of heart disease. What clings to us spiritually doesn’t just affect our souls. It takes a toll on our whole being.

Sometimes, the most important spiritual practice is doing a careful check. Take time to pause, pay attention, and lovingly examine what you’ve picked up along the way. And then, when you’re ready, choose to let go.

My wish for you this week, Reader, is that you take a moment to notice what’s been clinging to you. May you feel the grace that helps you release it. And may you rediscover the joy and wholeness that were yours all along. That's the fiLLLed life. “Search me, O God, and know my heart… See if there is any harmful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23–24)

Live a fiLLLed life, Melissa ​

P.S. Would you like some tools for growing a forgiving spirit? Click on the resource marketplace link below and check out the Forgiveness Toolbox.

P.P.S. The Psalm 139 exercise in the Free Resource Hub is a great practice for self-reflection!