Working Through The Past

For those who do not know, I attend Cross Point Church here in Nashville.  I have been going for almost a year and I love it!  I am always encouraged and challenged by Pastor Pete's messages and at times like to carry some of his points over into my blog.  This past Sunday, he talked about how many of us want to keep our past in the past but sometimes we need to work through it before we can ever experience the life we were meant to live.  I agree with his view and believe it to fit very nicely into our theme of - this is the year!

All of us have a past.  It is part of life.  Just as each of us are unique - so is our past.  Some may look back at their lives with great memories, some may only remember hard times.  You may have had an ideal childhood or one that brings up feeling of hurt and anger.  The teenage years normally include some sort of rebellion and some of us learn from those times and some of us continue down paths that destruct.  As we grow into adulthood it is the time for finding out who we truly are.  For some it comes easy and for others it comes through trial and error.  The common bond for all of us is that the sum of these experiences shape us into who we become.  Pastor Pete made the point that many times we want to keep the past in the past, lock it up, and throw away the key.  This is a very unhealthy way of dealing with the past because it prevents us from ever moving forward in life and breaking free to explore the possibility (like we talked about yesterday). 

In my thirty-six years of life so far (I agree - I look much younger!), I know that I have evolved into who I am today.  I was blessed to have a great childhood and raised by incredible parents.  My teenage years were not too rebellious - just the occasional coming in past my curfew or stealing a road sign (I blame peer pressure)!  My twenties, however, was the time that had a few ups and downs as I began searching out who I truly am.  Although there are good and bad memories, I had to work through those times and learn for myself what was at the core of who I am as a person - my beliefs, my purpose, and what makes me unique.   Had I left some of the tough moments in life in the past and never worked through them, I know that I would still struggle today.  However, I do feel confident that I know what I believe, what my purpose is, and what makes up who I am - the good and the bad. 

As the present becomes the past, each experience shapes us into who we are becoming.  I do believe that life is a continual process and one we are continually learning from.  Whatever is holding you back from experiencing your authentic self - I encourage you to face it head on and work through it.  Although it may not be easy, it will make you stronger.  If this is the year for a new start in life, to move forward, and to break through to a deeper level of understanding - we must understand how our past shapes us, and use that to build from for an even brighter future.