Monday, 9 December 2013

The past and Moving on: Journey to the Future



For as long as you look into the past, you will never be able to appreciate the present and realize what the future has in store for you. The pain, regrets about decisions and situations that happened before now are out of your hand- the only thing you are capable of is controlling how you respond to the situation.

I believe forgiveness is one of the toughest paradoxes. Selfish, yet selfless. Selfish because it is mostly for your own good and selfless because if the other person cares, then you also give them relief. It is only through forgiveness that we begin healing.

There are things about me that I have carried; that I did not want to let go because (as crazy as this sounds) they were the core constructs of my wall to fence off people. In my short life, I have been on the road to hell (maybe) even got there; and back. I have learnt that friends are important and will keep you sane when you think life is over.

One thing I have also come to appreciate is, in order for you to get to the peak- you have to hit rock bottom. This is such a dark moment in one’s life and regardless of whether or not you are alone: only you have the power to realize and decide that you can’t sink any lower and have to rise up. It is only after this realization and accepting the situation that true and honest strides towards forgiveness of oneself can be made. It is in forgiving ourselves that we create the possibility of forgiving others. It is in letting go of the past that we have the ability to move on.

I may not be one to honestly talk about my challenges as I experience them; I prefer to talk about them once I overcome them- successfully or not. I have attributed this to the notion of making decisions due to own conviction. Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. As much as the reasons might be noble, it also good to seek the counsel of others- and God- but you have to careful in this. 1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. There are times that our decisions are clouded by emotions and we need someone with a clear view to guide us. It is because of this that I have armed myself with three women who I consider my prayer warriors. There is comfort in knowing, when you are down and knocked out proper, there is someone standing in the gap for you.

Trials are part of life, if we never go through fire, our worth will not be known. When you are out of the furnace:

1.       Take a deep breath

2.       Stand (reflect),

3.       Dust yourself off ( of anger, regrets, disappointments- things of the past)  

4.       That first step towards a new journey (walk with pride).

For as long as you are driving using the rearview mirror, you will never get to see where you are going. Out with the past, and make a clean slate to enjoy the present and anything the future may have in store. Equip yourself with things that will not only facilitate your movement in the right direction, but also sustain the movement indefinitely. Rebuild a relationship with yourself, and with your maker before you can venture out to mend broken bridges or make new ones. Be the kind of person you would wish to attract- hurting people not only hurt others, but may also attract hurting people. You attract what you profess.

 When all is said and done it is in not having that we appreciate having, it is in hurting that we nurture, it is in death that there is rebirth…it is in forgiveness that there is healing.

 




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