Fingerprints
Have you ever heard a song that just takes you back? Or maybe certain scenery or fragrances can translate you to a point in time? Funny how we can be moved emotionally by these things, but really, it shouldn’t surprise us, after all it was still us, just some time ago. This happened to me this past week as I was reminded of a time in my life that I had thought was long gone, but a couple of situations and BAM! There I was in this disturbing time warp, complete with sentiment, heartache and nostalgia. Now usually I just put these events in a little box that I mark “not me anymore” (and thank God I’m definitely not that same person), but I began to think, why am I remembering these things in such a powerful way? And where should this emotional roller coaster be taking me?
One place I don’t want it to take me is back inside the box! Where I live paralyzed to events that are no longer a reality in my present life, but that word reality is really important to me regarding all this, you see the reality is that my life is not separated into boxes of the past or present it is a continuing timeline filled with good, bad, ugly and hopefully redemptive things.
Paul had no problem reminding those who followed Jesus of what they were, he did not put their past in a box, but instead put it before them and said, remember this was you, but it’s not anymore. “Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other.” Titus 3:3 (NLT)
Paul was just telling the truth, and unless we too are honest with what has and is taking place with us, how can we know if all things have become new, unless we have something like the old to compare it to.
So even though we like to put our life into little compartments, I don’t believe that God’s view of us is like that, just look at how scripture talks about salvation. We look at salvation as an event in a moment of time, but God seems to refer to it as an ongoing process
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope… Romans 8:24 (NKJV)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJV)
…for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Romans 13:11 (NKJV)
We were saved, are being saved and will be saved, our life is a whole and we will either be able to look at the entirety of it and see God at work, or we will be fragmented and unable to relate to anybody, because we are not living an honest or whole life.
So when I hear that old song, or see that familiar scenery, when the memories come flooding in, instead of trying to put them back in a box, I think I will look and see if I can find somewhere in the memory
...God’s fingerprint on my soul.
2 comments:
Good word Sam. That is a great perspective about how to redeem unwanted trips into our past. We have all experienced some very strong emotions throughout our life, but we need to measure them by what God has done in our lives.
That way of thinking can certainly keep us from being weighed down by those strong emotions from the past.
Thanks for sharing that. Good word.
Bill Walden
I believe God has allowed those things in our past for us to learn from, then and now. The Lord recently brought to my mind very vividly how I used to be growing up. I put my parents though some of the toughest times in their life. I would sneek out at night, so my parents nailed my window shut, so I went out the upper portion that wasn't nailed. When they nailed the whole window I went out the front door and came in before daybreak, when they locked the door so I couldnt get back in before they awoke, so I just stayed out. I could go on but you get the gist. Anyhow these memories came back to me a while ago and I thought, WOW Okay God why are you bringing this up now. I waited to see what the Lord had in store because my experience has been that these memories aren't to condemn or hurt but are to be used to help someone else and at times ourselves as well. And about two weeks later I was in a group where someone needed prayer for a child who is in the exact same place I was. And I knew exactly what to pray for. I am very humbled that He would choose to use me in this way and very thankful that He knew better than I and can use my circumstances for His glory, always.
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