Honoring the Past
Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don't think you can hold on." James Frey
My grandmother used to say when "I think of the goodness of the Lord, and what he has done for me, my heart is glad." I know when I was younger, I did not understand the phrase. The Psalmist says that I am surrounded by my enemies, but I still praise him (Psalm 18:3).
When I think about both the Psalmist in the word and my grandmother's statement, I know what they mean now. God has brought me a mighty long way. He had kept me when I had nothing. When I think about how he's kept me and how many times he's kept me, and the ways he still keeps me, my soul burst into gratefulness and gladness. My journey has not been the smoothest ride. I have faced adversity as many of us have - and some memories are still hard to understand why I had to go through them, but I still appreciate them and honor the fact that those memories have contributed to who I am today.
I truly understand that our past isn't always the easiest to face. Many of us have suffered long and hard. Many of us would like to forget the past and forget anyone associated with that past. Some want to disassociate and isolate because the journey has been so hard. But I don't believe that leads to true healing and true freedom. You're not free because you can run fast away from something- you're just fast at running away. You're free when you stand in the midst of it and are not shaken. Going through hardships is a part of life. It is not easy to go through, but it's still life. Our power is in the promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Face each day with hope so that you can honor the past as a conqueror.
Each step in our past leads us to where we are today. God is so intentional. Everything you have been through has equipped you to stand today.
I challenge you to honor the past. It is a gateway to the future. Even if you had a troubled past- celebrate it. Honor where you are. Let go of old versions of yourself and feel free to disconnect from those people and situations that hold you captive to that old version. Just don't disconnect out of fear. That's the difference between disassociating and disconnecting. When our past is too overbearing, we tend to disassociate out of fear and push our help away. But when we are disconnecting, we are disconnecting from those who hold us within their limited viewpoint.
It troubles me when I see us too stuck in the past. There's a difference between honoring the past and staying there. Take, for example, Lot's wife in Genesis 19. Lot and his family were instructed to flee and not look back, and in verse 26, "Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt ."What is to come is more significant than what you've lost. Holding grudgingly to your past because of hang-ups and hurt produces no fruit. The word also says where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18) - there's no vision in the past. Our past is a resource to pursue a better future. It is a conduit between our present and future, but it is not our blueprint or the be-all-end-all. Move from your past and be grateful for your lessons. Don't stay stuck and bound.
When you reflect on your past, honor it with gratefulness. Appreciate your journey.
Honoring the past is a balancing act. It is a balance between remembering and pursuing. Remember where you came from but seize the day before you with the beautiful new mercies God gives us every day. Focus on each step. Appreciate each step you've taken. Know that ALL things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. All means all. So honor your past, and let's work to cultivate the harvest for our future by appreciating the totality of this thing called life so far.