Are you an EMBRACER or an ERASER?

Greetings OUTM Community!!!

How is everyone out there? As for me, I'm feeling blessed and grateful for all the positive experiences I've had since my last update. Lately, I've been spending a significant amount of time near the water, which has numerous health benefits, leaving me feeling great!

Now this week's topic is going to require some interactions in the comments! Don't be shy, because this is why we're here.

A week ago, I asked God what the next topic was going to be for this BLOG... we went back and forth about titles but the subject of "The PAST" remained the same, so that was clear to me. When the title of this topic was given. I was like Oh God that's GOOD!! So here we are. In full transparency, I should have started it on the day all the things were being downloaded, but the spirit of procrastination and doing things before doing GOD seeped in, but God in his infinite wisdom confirmed that this is still the word to bring forth, because it will be a blessing to someone who reads it!!

So, my question remains. Are you an Embracer of your PAST, or are you and ERASER of your PAST? Now, it is a known fact that most of us have had some unspeakable, traumatic, and heartbreaking experiences, which causes us, to (understandably) want to erase whatever that thing is/was, but is that what God wants? Here is what each of these looks like, and I added some word to stamp it for you.

ERASER: Have you been, or have you encountered an eraser? I have been on both ends; I encountered erasers, and I was an eraser. I learned that being an eraser can be stifling to yourself and to those around you. It suffocates the progression that can possibly take place, because we try so hard to control the direction of the narrative, to avoid that point of pain (grief, abandonment, guilt, sexual violation, betrayal, church hurt, family issues, divorce, etc...) It's as if you are in a chokehold because the things of the past had not been addressed, so there is no peace within. There are those who make great efforts to erase parts of their past, to the point where they risk missing out on valuable lessons and lose touch with their true selves. Some may even go as far as changing their name to distance themselves from a particular event or period. However, by doing this, they suffocate the version of themselves that was meant to move forward towards their true purpose as intended by God. In the Scriptures, God instructs His people to, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” (Isaiah 43:18 NIV). After looking up the word "dwell," I found out that it means to live or stay as a permanent resident, as well as to live or continue in a given condition or state. This sheds light on why the Lord discourages us from dwelling on the past, as it can hinder our progress and keep us stuck. When we fixate on the past, it becomes effortless to feel sorry for ourselves, play the victim, hold grudges, and remain stagnant. Romans 15:4 (ESV) says: "For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."  Even in challenging circumstances, it is important to hold onto hope, have faith, and seek strength from the Lord. Sometimes, the reason we go through difficulties is to be able to support others, so giving up is not a choice. During that time, pray for the peace that passes all understanding!

EMBRACER: By embracing the past, we gain freedom, enabling us to lead a meaningful life. It's important to note that embracing doesn't involve dedicating all your time to past experiences or traumas; rather, it's about acknowledging them enough to let God work on them and guide you through. Some may question why God permitted certain events to occur in their lives, but from my personal experience and while writing my first book..."Opening Up the Mail - A Devotional in Building your Relationship with God through Worship & Prayer", I was able to think of a myriad of reasons why God allowed some of my past struggles to occur. I of course didn't understand it while I was in it, but as I looked back over my life, I was able to reconcile it being a part of the process. The part of the process that will be for His glory; the part of the process that prompts me to say, "had it not been for God", and the part of the process that allowed me to take a closer walk with Him and trust Him even more. Had I not embraced my past, as hurtful as they were, I would probably be outside of His will and my purpose. Had I not embraced it, I would probably be conducting my life like a merry go round, making choices and convincing myself that I was progressing, when in reality, I was going nowhere. 2 Corinthians 4:16 -18 (MSG) says So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times; the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever. Accepting our past enables us to release and entrust it to God. It's not about merely saying we surrender it to God while still trying to control the outcome, but genuinely handing it over to God, allowing the transformation to be evident.

MUSICAL ENCOURAGEMENT

OK OUTM Community!! That's it for now.

Keep the Faith TTYL