"Often it is difficult for us to admit that our hurt occurred."

A thought by H. Norman Wright from his book, When the Past Won't Let You Go (p. 10). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

This can be so true.

Norman says, "I’ve heard a number of reasons why some don’t want to face their old wounds.

• Some don’t want to admit that what happened to them actually happened.

• Some believe if they admit to the hurt and pain of the past, they are in some way different or damaged and not useful to others. They want to see themselves as okay, but they don’t. They definitely don’t want others to know to avoid being judged or offered unwanted advice.

• Some are afraid to confront the painful past. That’s understandable. There is fear that experiencing the pain again might be too much to bear.

• There is also the fear that confronting the past may require change, which opens the door to failure."

He goes on, "The reality is that to move from being a yesterday person to a tomorrow person, we need to admit we were hurt, face it, describe it, and tell our stories. This also means facing what our hurt has turned into—anger.

He later says, "Many of us have pasts so wracked with pain that our pattern of life is devoted to playing it safe and, thus, not run the risk of being hurt again. We find ways to create a safe distance and avoid losses, as well as build walls to keep others out. The ways we manifest this vary. We may be aloof, defensive, negative, sarcastic, cynical, or very selective in what we share. We may relate with some people, but we don’t make ourselves vulnerable. This brings to mind a phrase in Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? by Father John Powell: 'I’m afraid to tell you who I am because if I tell you who I am you might not like who I am and that’s all I’ve got.'

"Conversely, our pain may cause us to respond in a totally different way. We may be so desperate for closeness that we go to any extreme to have this false or exaggerated intimacy be a part of our life. We make choices that aren’t healthy."

He then says, "The hurts of the past keep us from the joy of the present and the future."

And that can be so true, can't it? Thank You, God that our past is past and the greatest present is your presence and You are present.

Yes, yes!

Comments

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference. You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

Just Continue That Thought...

Search This Blog