Visiting the Past

Dealing with the past can produce positive memories and emotions and it can produce negative ones. Here's a passage from my Joel Osteen "Your Best Life" Devotional book that I thought was really powerful:

"Too many people nowadays are living with a victim mentality. They are so focused on what they've been through, complaining about how unfair it was, they don't realize they are dragging the pains of the past into the present. It's almost as though they get up each day and fill a big wheelbarrow with junk from the past and bring it into the new day.  Let go of that stuff! Your past does not have to poison your future. Just because you've been through some hurt and pain, or perhaps one or more of your dreams have been shattered, that doesn't mean God doesn't have another plan. God still has a bright future in store for you."

It's interesting what you recall when you visit a place from your past. I had the opportunity to visit Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital with my daughters. Five years ago, my daughter, Ashley spent a total of 12 weeks of intense rehabilitation at Madonna, of which 6 weeks were in patient. She had just turned 7 at the time, and Nicole was only 3 years old. It became our "home away from home" for a brief time. This visit was the first time for the girls to walk back through the doors of Madonna since Ashley's healing there. I was worried about how Ashley would react. The smile in this picture says it all.

There are a lot of dark, scary moments that Ashley recalls from her medical journey. While, the memories she has of Madonna are few, those she has are positive. She remembered the cafeteria and stitting outside in the courtyard. She remembered the large fish aquarium. She remembered a hallway where she rode on a therapy bike. Amazingly, what she remembered the most was the water therapy. It's no surprise that she loves to swim! Visiting the therapy pool and feeling the warm water and seeing the mural on the wall, it's no wonder this was the "happy place" for her during her rehabilitation. We can credit much of her ability to learn to walk again to the therapy that took place in this pool.

Our day visiting Madonna got me thinking. Wouldn't it be nice if we could erase all the bad memories and experiences in our life and just hang onto the good ones! And we can! Because each day is a new day, and God has a bright future in store for us.

"For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)." Ephesians 5:8-9

Love and Prayers,
Sondra