:the one where i follow him in the joy and wreckage of life:

he shared from the heart about the love of god. spoke of forgiveness. like many others he emphasized the importance of leaving the past in the past. he gave an illustration of trying to drive while looking in the rearview mirror and how that would present itself difficult. so we should keep our eyes forward in life, not looking to the past.

move forward.
don't look back.
god has forgiven it, you need to forget it.

i've heard it a lot lately. when i hear it i think about my past. the ugly messy past. there were some rough patches, poor decisions and nasty consequences. parts of it erect pain. other parts, shame. yet i cannot leave it in the past. i cannot only look forward and move on. this is my story. the past, present and future. my story woven into his plans. he uses it all. i am who i am because of the past. in spite of it even.

the past shaped me.
the past influences the decisions i make today.
the past is still teaching me lessons.
the past created a heart of compassion for young people.
the past developed an undying love to my husband.
the past has helped me choose my friends wisely.
the past is teaching me to love a jesus-down-in-the-trenches kind of love.

the past plays a major role in my future....and maybe yours too.

forgiven? yes.
forgotten? no.

"churches should be places where people come to hear the story of god and to tell their own. that's how we find out how the two relate. tell your story with all of its shadows and fog, so people can understand their own. they want a leader who's authentic, someone trying to figure out how to follow the lord jesus in the joy and wreckage of life."

-chasing francis; a pilgrim's tale (ian morgan cron)