In the long run, when a soul experiences love and acceptance in its formative years, it is easier to trust in God’s faithful love. Because of Jesus’ redemptive love, we are forgiven for our past, present, and future shortcomings. In turn, His forgiving love teaches us to forgive ourselves and others with compassion and understanding. Embracing this God given wisdom will enable us to step forward and live the great commandment..” Love the Lord Your God with heart, soul, and mind…love others as you love yourself”. But a soul that has been wounded with hatred or rejection in its formative years will find it challenging to totally trust anyone, let alone God. When we have been wounded in the past, we anticipate the same hurtful experiences in the present. I call this survival mode; present hurts collide with past hurts, and familiar feelings of rejection and suffering seem inescapable as we focus on enduring our continued existence. BUT GOD has a plan to help and heal the former wounds of old and start a new and optimistic work in the broken hearts of His children. As we know, the beginning of all healing is Truth. As God opens the wounds, we must look honestly inside them, so we can release the infection of hurt and anger. This healing process is ongoing as the Lord heals and refills our hearts with the balm of His Love. He then teaches us how important it is to forgive ourselves and all others who have offended, abused, and rejected us. Often this takes time to unravel, but God’s grace will see us through. His healing takes the bite and power out of our past, bringing us to a new place…we don’t have to live in the past anymore! Then it is time to gradually embrace God’s love and give Him a chance to truly show us what “Daddy Jesus” love is! This love and grace has the power to change our purpose from surviving to stepping forward, and discovering God’s good plans for our lives. God promises to make a way, even in the wilderness, He promises rivers in the desert!
“Do not [earnestly] remember the former things; neither consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs forth; do you not perceive and know it and will you not give heed to it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert”(Isaiah 43:18-19).