Over-comming my Past, Conquering my Present, Claiming my Future

I am so glad you could visit with me a bit... Nothing like coffee with a friend...
This may take a while, so lets just start with "Your Past"... we will move on to your present tomorrow.

Do you remember in high school, about our Sophomore year, teachers and counselors began talking about our goals? Goals for formal education, our careers, what choices would effect our future? It was such a scary thought, thinking that we had to make choices, how were we going to live in an adult world, and the choices we made at 15 were going to affect us for the rest of our lives...

Some of us made wise choices, others of us didn't. The thought of "I should have" would forever be posed in our minds.... from that day forward, we would look back and say "I should have...." Do you ever feel like that today?
Do you look back and say, "why didn't I".... Why did I do that? Why didn't I choose different? Why did that have to happen to me?

Here's the beauty of your past....although, it can not be changed, you can turn it around... you can start today, making better choices, looking at your past life, failure to thrive, lost love, tragedy... Yes, I am serious.. you can change YOU!

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4-6


See, God knew you before you were born. He knew who you were going to be, and who he designed you to be.... He knew his purpose for your life, he knew your triumphs and failures all at the same time. He knew where you would struggle. He knew when you would be hurting, He knew when life was going to drop you to the lowest pit of despair, and he was and is prepared to lift you up and carry you though the valley... This is your God...

Let's go back to high school for a minute...Maybe you made all the right choices, maybe you chose the right college, the right career path. Maybe you chose the right mate to marry...But you say, "I made all the right choices, and look at my life... look where I am , and what I have gone through, "Where is my God, Why am I alone, and Why am I still dealing with my Past?"

First let me tell you.... God is a gracious, loving God. The bible refers to Him as our Father.. Think about your earthly father... Father's direct their children in ways that they should go... they teach lessons, and sometimes they have to allow a little hurt, to shape and mold you into who you should be... Do you understand what I am saying? Its because he loves you....

 Let me give you an example...
You got a new bike for your birthday, but "wait, I don't know how to ride it"...right, so your daddy takes you out to learn.. He puts a helmet, and elbow and knee pads on you... he practically wraps you in bubble wrap right? Why does he do that? Because he knows without a shadow of a doubt, that you are gonna fall, and even though, you are all padded up, you are still gonna get scraped up.... He knows that you will get hurt, you will be afraid to get back on, and he knows you may carry a scar..... "hummmm"...... do you see what is happening here?

So, let me paint a picture for you..... There you are, you've pulled your braids out, so that you can feel the wind blow your hair back as you speed down the street on your bike, you know that you are gonna have tangles in your hair, that your mom is gonna have to use the whole bottle of No More Tears to get them out, you know for sure, you "are gonna get it" the whole time mom is patiently combing one section at a time.... but you don't care, because you are on your new shiny purple metallic bike, the Freestyle  with butterflies, and swirly decals, and a glittery banana seat... Nobody on the block has one. Your friends wave to you as you go buzzing past at the speed of light....You have thrown caution to the wind, enjoying life, and then it happens...... you glance down, and there it is....that ugly two centimeter, shiny scar.... yes, that gash healed, but it is a different color and texture than the rest of your skin, and just like that... it all comes rushing back..... you were just riding along, you were wobbly, lost your balance, and then,  you were falling, you couldn't do anything to stop it, the stinging pain bit into your knee, there was blood, and you didn't even know if you could walk....."Where is my Dad, why did he let go of me?"

Do you know the verse in the bible about be forsaken..?
I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Psalm 37:25 
God has not forsaken you, just like your earthly  father, did not abandon you, with the intent that you be hurt..there was a lesson that needed to be taught, in order to fulfill your purpose.


"So, What are you telling me, God wants me to hurt, and I should be fine with it, because he wants to teach me a lesson so that I can be what he wants?, that's WHACK!"........No..that is not what I am saying...

What I am saying is, from birth to death, God knows your life.... Whether, you have suffered from self-made choices, or events of life, that you didn't ask for, God has and had a purpose. We could set here all day, and belabor the reasoning, but rather than that... what if we move forward, what if we say, "I do not understand the purpose, but I have new strength, wisdom, and experience from this event in my life, and I want to use it to give God glory?" Wow, how healthy is that? What a positive way to move forward. What can you do with your Past? What if there is someone else who's Present, is parallel with your Past? "Well, I can not go there with other people, you don't understand my hurting, I will have to relieve it all over again"......I hear you, but what if your harboring your hurt, is keeping you locked up? Tell me this... If you are holding hurt and fear in your heart, where is God living? The bible says that light and dark don't mix, so tell me, is there any room for God?

When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;
 Job 29:2-4


God is willing to walk you through your darkness,. Why not reach out to someone else, give your past hurt, mistakes, or tragedy purpose. Shine God's light into someone elses darkness. Just like all those pads your daddy put on you, to protect you, God has given you the tools you need to use your past to help others.Use them, use your past, otherwise, it is just hurt, unfulfilled purpose.....


"So, okay....Where do I start letting go of my past?" I am soooo glad you asked, let me tell you.... Start praying that God will reveal to you, his will... Tell God that you want to help others with the experience you have. Understand, that when you asked God to forgive you for all you sin, He did! You are no longer required to carry that around with you....God has cast your sin as far as the east is from the west, so why are you holding it? You may need to bind and loose somethings here... the bible says
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:17-19

You might need a few Holy Ghost breakthroughs here.....lol

Once you have decided, "I am not suffering like this anymore, God suffered so that I don't have to, I am not living in fear, I am going to walk in faith (on a side note, can I just say, when you walk in faith, you cast a huge shadow, that shadow sets the devil running......just saying.....), I am not dwelling in sadness anymore,  I am going to allow the Joy of the Lord to flood my soul..." , Now begin asking God to put the right person in your path, that you can show your light...Ask God to make you sensitive to others around you.. Maybe there is someone who, doesn't share the same experience with you, but "Hey ! Pain is pain....you can still be a prayer partner, a listener....I want to caution you, DO NOT BE AN ENABLER.... listen, and help them move forward.....

I so want to encourage you today, reach out of yourself, reach beyond you, to someone hurting. You will be amazed at the release in your life. God is standing by, waiting for you to unlock the purpose of your past...When you can do this, YOU HAVE OVER COME YOUR PAST.

Be Blessed
Joy