Surpassing The Past!

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained this. Instead I am single-minded: Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

~Philippians 3:13-14

 

 

Many years ago, in a galaxy far far away, I needed a new start.  I really wished there was a way that I could erase my past and just start over, but knew that was not likely to happen.  You see, at some point your past will catch up with you and will rear its ugly head like a sea serpent from the sea of your life and it will attempt to destroy the ship of your life.  But I wanted.....no, that's not quite right....I NEEDED a fresh start.

 

I remember talking with a very wise friend about the fact that I had screwed up my life so much that the only way it would get better would be for me to have a fresh start.  This wise person said, "Are you wearing diapers?"  I admit, I was both amused, confused, and rather stunned to be asked such a question.  I admitted that I was not wearing diapers and had not worn them for quite some time. 

 

My friend said, "Let me give you a little image to ponder.  When you were an infant and your diaper became soiled because of you, you were given a brand new one.  And eventually, you would soil that one too.  And the cycle would go on and on, until you learned to make a change.  When you take a trip and you change your mind on where you want to go, what do you do?  You make a change."  And here's the most poignant part of the discussion that I made me think. He said, "When Jesus called Saul to become Paul, Saul had to make a decision to change.  Saul was not a man to be messed with and had, by his own admission, made a mess of his life.  But Saul chose to learn from his past, and leave it behind in order to have a new beginning."

 

Did Saul's past just disappear?  No, it haunted him for the rest of his life. BUT Paul did not let the ghosts of his past deter him from his new beginning.  Every year, we make New Year Resolutions.  We acknowledge that there are things about our lives we want to change.  But how many times do we fail because we aren't ready to let go of the past habits?

 

Dear Past, 

Thank you for the lessons.

 

Dear Future,

I'm ready!