We all have a past. Some of them are much prettier than others. Some peoples pasts may bring feelings of great love and of very few mistakes. They might be loaded with life lessons and good circumstances and you have no problem taking trips and reflecting there often. It may be easy for some people to look back and smile at the life you’ve had.

While other people may look into their past and only see moments wished to be forgotten. Life’s circumstances and or situations have never seemed in your favor or ideal. Decisions that you, or those around you have made, have greatly affected your life and maybe even how you are living now. You may have gone back and “parked in your past” and just can’t seem to move forward…

I myself, have many things in my past that I wish I could go back and erase, or at least try to do over now that I am much wiser. I have learned to accept the fact that I can’t do them over. I have also since forgiven myself from all of the poor choices I made.  

You see…As a child of God we have to let go of what we have already done or what others have done to us. The day we become His, He chooses to forget all of our past. Every sin and every detour that we have created in our walk with Him…He forgives! He accepts us just as we are. At the very moment we let Him enter our hearts, ALL things are made NEW.

I was deeply flawed, and full of sin. I will always be thankful for My New Beginning. I am also thankful that God doesn’t take trips back into our pasts. He doesn’t see the need to bring our flaws up and remind us of them. He only looks into our wiped clean futures…and He sees our futures full of beautiful promises.

It’s OK to take a trip and remind ourselves of where we were. It allows us as Christians to see the glory of Gods amazing work. As He changes our hearts, transforms or minds and penetrates into our souls.  Seeing the “where we were without God” and “where God has us now” is testimonial to ourselves and an example to others as well.  It motivates us to keep moving forward into “what God has in store for us”.  

 So, go ahead….Take a trip into your past…..but No Parking!          

Don’t let your past define you. And whatever you do, please do not create or place a label on yourself, or soak in your own self-pity of wrong doing.  Looking back (trips into our pasts) can be healthy if they remind us that God was there all along (He will never leave us or forsake us! Deuteronomy 31:6 ) Short trips can allow us to see the greatness of His divine plan in our lives as things have unfolded. They allow us to see how far we’ve come. They can help us build our faith in Him too, as we learn to trust Him with every part of our future.

So remember….NO PARKING in your Old Life!  If you do Park…it could very well keep you from Gods ultimate plan.  Let your NEW LIFE show you the Goodness and Mercy of God, teach you of His Amazing Grace and allow you to experience His unconditional Love! If you find yourself struggling with your past…ask the Lord to help you keep from anything in your Old Life that is unpleasing to Him. He will guide and protect you from the things that can hinder your future! Enjoy your New Life in Him, even if it’s one day or one moment at a time. You were created with purpose and your life (every detail about it) matters to Him! Press on. Keep moving forward.     

Ephesians 8-10 ~  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.