Life in the Valley
No, this is not a post about my time spent living in Modesto.
The last few weeks have been tough...really tough. I feel like I've been going through a valley. And as of right now...I feel like I may be towards the end of the valley. Or it could be just the entrance to another one. Without going into all the details, let me give you three things I've learned and am clinging to right now.
It is not possible to change the past - There's no way to do it. All of us have moments we wish we'd handled differently, mistakes we've made, and things we'd love to erase. Unfortunately, Doc Brown and his time traveling Delorean just don't exist.
God has completely forgiven my past - Even though I've been following Jesus for 20 years now, I still struggle with getting this at times. It just seems like I should have to do something to pay for the past. But that's the mystery and beauty of grace. God takes care of it.
So, if the previous two statements are true (and I believe they are) then...
I must ruthlessly avoid living in the past - I say this, but sometimes I don't get it. My human nature desperately wants to go back and dwell in the past and live with my shortcomings. But if it's true that I can't change the past and God has forgiven my past, then I must move on. It's easy to get paralyzed by "woulda, coulda, or shoulda." I must learn from the past, but I cannot live there.
The valley has been tough. I look forward to moving out of it. But, I also know that God does a lot of work in the valley. He changes us. He shapes us. He begins to make us into the people he wants us to be. So, while I can't say I've enjoyed this valley, I do know that God has given me a deeper understanding of Himself through it.
The last few weeks have been tough...really tough. I feel like I've been going through a valley. And as of right now...I feel like I may be towards the end of the valley. Or it could be just the entrance to another one. Without going into all the details, let me give you three things I've learned and am clinging to right now.
It is not possible to change the past - There's no way to do it. All of us have moments we wish we'd handled differently, mistakes we've made, and things we'd love to erase. Unfortunately, Doc Brown and his time traveling Delorean just don't exist.
God has completely forgiven my past - Even though I've been following Jesus for 20 years now, I still struggle with getting this at times. It just seems like I should have to do something to pay for the past. But that's the mystery and beauty of grace. God takes care of it.
So, if the previous two statements are true (and I believe they are) then...
I must ruthlessly avoid living in the past - I say this, but sometimes I don't get it. My human nature desperately wants to go back and dwell in the past and live with my shortcomings. But if it's true that I can't change the past and God has forgiven my past, then I must move on. It's easy to get paralyzed by "woulda, coulda, or shoulda." I must learn from the past, but I cannot live there.
The valley has been tough. I look forward to moving out of it. But, I also know that God does a lot of work in the valley. He changes us. He shapes us. He begins to make us into the people he wants us to be. So, while I can't say I've enjoyed this valley, I do know that God has given me a deeper understanding of Himself through it.
This entry was posted by Mike Lovato, on
Monday, March 20, 2006.
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12:35 PM
Bro, first, know that you are awesome. Second, we all go through valleys, so know that you are not alone. Third, you have tons of people cheering you on and wanting to help you along. So know that when you feel like your arms are about to drop, call on us, and we will gladly hold them up for you. Wish I could be with you this week. I hope you have a great time. Tell the gang I said Hi.