Is it Important to Analyze Your Past? #2

acan of worms

In continuation of the can of worms I opened yesterday, I would like to proceed just a little more. If you did not read my post yesterday, this may or may not make sense although I think in all of us have, somewhere, in the back of our closet, is a can of worms we prefer to keep tightly closed.

Lets backup just a bit to make a statement that sometimes the cans of worms we grew up with in our families may or may not influence the cans of worms that get created when the next generation of family is created. Sometime cans of worms just get created.

OK, enough about worms. The whole purpose of this is driven from a statement made to me that I should really get some help opening all the doors of my past so that I can process them correctly. I looked at speaker, who does not have the same belief system as I do and calmly said -“If God wanted me to remember that pain, he would bring it to the front”. The brain is an incredible piece of work that we have only scratched the surface of in trying to understand how it works. It has the uncanny ability to block out the painful or scary parts of our past which is a protective mechanism to make us forget those memories that would forever break our heart every time we think about them. For example – a woman giving birth. Why would women go through that pain if they remembered what it was like. I did it three time so there is evidently some truth in that thought. So why would you want to open those doors of pain. Only then to have to go to therapy, spend money you don’t want to spend, learning coping mechanisms to deal with the pain and disillusions that previously your brain in its own protective mode had already done for you. It makes no sense to me.

Now, I will say that deep down, this “damage” created from these memories may have influenced some of the decisions made later in life and those I think you need to get help from because those you can remember and analyze the why of and learn from. Like for instance marrying the same man twice expecting a different result the second time. Some of us a slower learners than the others…or just hopeless believers in what could be.

This morning before heading to Bible study, I read Laurie ‘s post on her  healing process for running. She made some very profound statements about life as it is ever changing around us and that we need to do mental inventory to make sure our wants, needs and emotions are being met so that we can then assess what needs to be done to make our run with life smoother. I suggest you head over there as it was a very good read.

In Bible study this morning the question was asked as where is your focus and does it need reevaluating.  Are we so lost in what has happened to us that we quit? Are so so angered about what happened that we have become bitter?

When I analyze my past, there are a lot of missing childhood memories but there are some good memories as well. In my married life, there were a lot of rough seas but some beautiful calm waters as well. I don’t think you can  go through this life with everything calm and beautiful. Its the rough seas that shape us into the beautiful people we can be if we allow ourselves to be draped in the silver lining that gets produced from trials.

It is my firm belief that God provides that lining and if we are willing, he will show us how to use it to bless others. We have got to be willing to let God walk besides us (periodically carry us) to withstand the trials of this life.  I remember standing at the back of my son’s dorm and looking up at the window he broke out during a nightmare, seeing all the glass that was scattered on the ground, and I remember crying as I stared up at that window, 3 floors up, how very gracious my God was as that my son had no broken bones, only cuts from the glass as he dove out the window. God will carry you and he angels will catch you. I stake my and my children life on it, literally.

One day I will write a post on how I believe angels are working overtime for me and my children as we go through this process of learning that we call life.

And as I remind myself and others who read my scribbles, always be kind. Your kindness may not change the world but it may change the world of that one ‘being’.

kindness

Have a great week.

Life Tracks and Spiritual Musings

Today was my first Sunday in 6 weeks that I was able to get back to church and I was almost late because I was out of touch with the runners and the track they were taking. This part of Iowa/Illinois has marathons all the time and you learn to keep track of the road closing so that you are not late for where you need to go. I live on one side of the Mississippi River and go to church on the other side. And this particular bridge, the Centennial Bridge, is a favorite for runner marathons.

arunners

I don’t run. Right now I am doing good to walk. Regardless, I lack the passion of running like my friends that I have that run – they live for it. I even have wonderful blogging friends that run, Shelley of Quaint Revival and Laurie of Meditations in Motion who are both passionate runners. Me, I am the one in the folding chair with the cold beverage and the pompom cheering you onward.

acheering
Yay, Good Job, Go!

I think in life we also need people cheering us onward. Where in a marathon there are people staged keeping you on course, we need family and friends cheering us on and helping us stay the course and not getting off track.  Today’s challenge was getting back on track when lost. And as with life, it can be hard and sometimes the track may seem unsteady and not a straight clear path.

atracks 4
Curvy Course

Then there are times where too many options are available and how are you going to know which track to take. Which is the safest? Which will further my career the best? Which is the one that others would probably choose? Which is intimately the best overall track for me to take? So many questions.

a tracks
Multiple options

Always remember that regardless of the track you chose, if you begin to realize it is the wrong track, you can always stop, back track and get on the track you need to be on. God gives us an inner direction guide, sometime we hear it, sometimes we don’t but we always have a choice for continuance or correction or even quitting altogether. I always ask myself a few questions as I start any new journey and while being on that journey.

  1.  Am I being true to self.
  2. Am I affirming my beliefs in love, kindness and my God.
  3. Am I using this track to affirm others.
  4. Am I showing others how to love, how be kind and the love of my God.

If I can answer the with a yes, then I continue. If I can’t then I change my process and get back on track. Am I always going to get it right, no, but with the help of others we can at least straighten out a few of the crooked tracks. Sometimes we as Christians are afraid to speak up as some will feel we are shoving our beliefs down their throats. I don’t often speak of my beliefs but felt it needed sharing a bit today in a small quiet voice of encouragement to encourage anyone needing a verbal hug.

hug

In today’s fast paced and chaotic world, we need each other to bounce ideas off on, to help us shift out the rights tracks we need to take. Always remember that regardless, we have family(not necessarily always blood born), friends and our God to love us along the way and to keep us traveling along on  the straight track to the beautiful land together that He promised us.

a tracks 5
Straight path turning to His love.

 

In all things remember to be kind.