Moving on From the Past
31 May 2010 6 Comments
in Devotionals2 Tags: Canada, Chats and Forums, Chicken, christian encouragement, chronic illness, chronic pain, daily devotionals, devotional writers, Fiona Burrows, Health, hopekeepers, illness ministry, inspirational stories, invisible illness, Maple syrup, meditation, Melbourne, Photography, rest ministries, United States
“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13,14)
Do you spend too much time thinking about how things used to be, what you could do before, or how you wish you were like you were before? I know I have been guilty of that on many occasions.
There are things I miss about my life “before”, things I wish I could still do, people who moved on without me when I was sick, dreams I had for my life, that will never happen now.
Later this year, I will have been living with the problems associated with chronic pain, for longer than I lived without it. More than half my life is “since” my accidents.
It’s taken me years, and many tears, to accept the losses in my life and there are times when I still don’t seem to have found a peace about it – but mostly I have found that I can now be grateful for the many wonderful things that happened during my younger years, the people I got to spend time with, the things that I was able to take part in and the seeming ease with which I worked to achieve what I wanted.
Those things are in my past now – but God has promised that there are still goals for me to achieve. They may be smaller in some people’s eyes, but no less important in God’s view. These verses from Philippians remind us that we need to keep pressing on – not give up because we can no longer do the things we once could.
Prayer: Father, please help me to remember that you haven’t finished with me yet. Please help me to move on from the past and press on towards the goal you’ve set before me. Amen
About the Author:
Fiona Burrows lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is learning to be grateful for the lessons God is teaching her as she lives with chronic pain. She likes to find time for reading, writing, travel and photography.
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May 31, 2010 @ 13:10:27
Fiona
I can surely relate to the words of your devotional. Just when I think I’m handling my ‘new life’ okay, something rears its head and I am back to wishing for or at least really missing some part of what I used to be able to do. It is so hard to come to a complete acceptance of these huge life-changes.
May God bless you.
Gentle hugs,
Heather
May 31, 2010 @ 15:10:44
Fiona,
Amen ! God is not finished with us yet ! Even though it seems at times that our lives are finished and we can no longer be productive. That is a lie from the enemy.
The Lord is certainly using you Fiona in writing these wonderful devotionals to encourage others.
Blessings,
Carol
May 31, 2010 @ 15:50:46
PTL that He never gives up on us … even when we feel like we cannot go on, He shows us that we can. We are not defeated. He has a plan and a purpose for all of us. He makes a way. Thanks for such a wonderful reminder of His love and plan for us all.
Blessings,
Ada
Jun 01, 2010 @ 18:31:46
Fiona, how wonderful that you look at your life “before” with such thankfulness! And I say, “Amen” to your comment about the way God looks at his goals for you at this point in your life. They ARE just as important as anything he may ask of one of his perfectly healthy children.
As Carol said in her comments, your devotionals are lifting others up, and drawing us closer to our Lord. We probably underestimate how much God is using these writings. And I’m sure they would NOT really touch the lives of those who live with pain and chronic illness if written by someone who hadn’t had the trials you and the other writers have had.
This is such a good reminder for us all. There may be times when we can’t even pray, and I think God can use us even then.
My prayer is that I’ll be in tune with his Holy Spirit so that I will hear what his next step for me is. And that I’ll be ready and willing to obey, with an attitude of wanting to please him. The One who loves me so very much.
Grace & peace,
Beth
Jun 03, 2010 @ 19:20:54
i will be turning 50 in November. i have been married to the same man for 29 yrs. we have 6 children and one grand daughter. i am not suffering with any physical disability or chronic pain, except that of a broken heart, broken dreams due to yrs living with an unfaithful spouse and yrs of battle with anger and bitterness, and co-dependency. i became a Christian in 1987 after a failed suicide attempt when my husband left and took our son with him. he has returned 2 yrs after that but our marriage was a constant battlefield. he persecuted me for my faith. to cope with the disappointment of failed expectations, i learned to live in denial of our real situation. i continued to serve the Lord in our music ministry and committed to love and honor my unbelieving spouse until he too accepted Jesus, after 11 yrs. we served together in our church. but several yrs later he went back to his old ways and eventually left the ministry, our church and the Lord. our kids’ faith plummeted and even my own faith was shaken. were it not for the faithful love and grace of the Lord i had felt like giving up. after 2 yrs, my husband came back, very sick, deep in debt, with no one else to turn to. the kids at first didn’t want him back and i myself was a bit sceptical. but after counselling, we took him back again. but not for long, he started to go back to his selfish ways. one therapist told me the he fitted the description of a sociopath with his double-life. during one of hes fits, my son could not take it any longer and told me that he (and his siblings) had been molested by their father. i confronted him but at first he vehemently denied even telling our pastors that i needed psychiactric help. but my son’s revelation just made things seem to make more sense. to this day, my husband has never really openly, sincerely confessed and sought forgiveness for all the horrible things he has done to me and the kids. he has gone back to church and seems to be repentant. the kids are slowly coming out of their own pain and anger and have been seeking the Lord, except for my daughter. but i yet have to see a tangible change of heart from my husband. there are so many things that have been left burried and unanswered. i have no peace in this. and this is where the pain seems to be unbearable. i often doubt his sincerity in his “repentance.” i often think there is a hidden agenda just as usual. and i almost anticipate an unearthing of truth. to this day so many things are left unresolved. my pain is in the thought that i have missed out on God’s will for me. the broken dreams of a family music ministry, a church-plant in my husband’s hometown, a mighty testimony of God’s transforming work in our marriage, our children’s spiritual growth… everything i had hoped ad prayed for all these years… all have been destroyed by my husband’s unfaithfulness not just to us but to the Lord… there is not a day that i regret the choices and decisions i had made in the past. when i see my children my heart breaks… i struglle with guilt of not having lived out God’s will for my life… that is the pain i bear everyday.
Jun 03, 2010 @ 23:05:21
Elise – often in the writing that show up here our writers have written about how hard it has been to give up activities or careers or ministries we had before our chronic illnesses came into our lives.
What you have just expressed is every bit a chronic as any physical illness. You have been in chronic emotional pain and a very co-dependent relationship with your husband.
You are not responsible for the choices he has made but you are responsible for how you choose to live your life from this moment on.
It may take help and counsel for you to break out of the bonds of co-dependence and self blame.
You are still living out God’s will for your life and have been a caring mother to the best you knew how. His will for your life is ongoing and there are still years to live for Him and with Him – leaving the past behind and not letting it hold you captive.
God’s heart may break as He too would have wanted different choices made by your husband – that is between God and your husband. What you do with your life now is between you and God and He has plans that are good if you can get beyond being stuck.
I know those of us who read your thoughts here will be praying for you to take some steps for yourself.
With care,
Lynn