“Some of us have been plowing and replowing the soil of our wounds far too long. We’ve been . . . going over the same ground and stirring up the same dirt into a giant dust bowl of pain and regret. But there comes a point when it is time to stop plowing and start planting. . . . Until then, we will never see a harvest — we will never experience our greatest victories.”- Sharon Jaynes
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
Sharon Jaynes concludes Chapter 4 of When You Don’t Like Your Story as she talks about the difference between God remembering and God forgetting. When God remembers someone in the Bible, He’s about to act on their behalf. Conversely, Sharon notes, when God forgets that means He’s not going to act.
However, as humans we find ourselves prone to remember what we need to forget. And, we forget what we need to remember. Hence, when the apostle Paul talks about ‘forgetting what is behind,’ he’s not advocating wiping the past from your memory. Instead, as one scholar described, Paul’s decision denoted “a conscious refusal to let [the past] absorb his attention and impede his progress.”
In conclusion, Sharon admits, it can be frightening to make the decision to move toward healing. Certainly, it’s easier to choose the comfort of what you’ve known over the unpredictability of freedom. Thus, Sharon exhorts:
“Like the fledgling unsure of its ability to navigate the vastness of the open skies, we perch on the edge of the nest, wondering if we can survive outside its safe boundaries. Something inside us tells us that we were not made for the nest, but will we venture beyond and take flight? ., . . I know you can do it. God’s right here beside you. He’s been here all along.”
Today’s question: When do you find yourself replowing the soil of your wounds? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The handcuffs of hatred – unlocked”
