“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to
speak and to remove all doubt.”
Better Things
How is everyone doing?
It’s been a tough year so far and it shows no sign of getting any less difficult. Many people are hurting and I know we will be dealing with the fallout of the pandemic and natural disasters for some time to come. I wonder what kind of scars 2020 will leave behind.
Today’s blog is a little different. I worked on it for two days; debated about whether I should post it; forgot to save it on my computer and lost it when the power went out; finally found it again; and then decided not to post it after all.
There was a good reason I ultimately decided not to post it – what I was trying to say could have been easily misconstrued. So, better to remain silent…
…but, I just can’t do it. So, here’s an abbreviated version. Just to be clear, what I want to talk about is the connection between the past and the present.
The past is gone it’s all been said… (Ray Davies/The Kinks “Better Things”)
Well, not so fast Ray; the past is a tricky thing.
It’s never really done with us, is it? I find that the past is constantly intruding on the present. It’s like throwing a rock in a pond: the ripples continue long after the rock has sunk to the bottom.
As a nation, we are dealing with some pretty big ripples. We are still wrestling with the unresolved questions of the past. Issues such as racial and gender equality, hundreds of years old, will continue to dog us until we take an honest look at ourselves and our history. But, that’s big picture stuff. I want to know about you and me. Sometimes things happen that can have profound effects on us and shape us in ways we aren’t even aware. Sometimes past events cause waves, not ripples, and they can be big enough to overwhelm us.
So, my question is: how can we deal with a painful past in a healthy way? Maybe you’ve faced that question as well. I know plenty of people who carry a tremendous amount of emotional baggage with them because of things they have experienced in the past. How should they deal with that?
I’m not sure, to be honest, but I do know not dealing with the past isn’t the answer. In the end, our unresolved issues will continue to create problems. We have to be courageous enough to bring our experiences out into the light. We have to be willing to examine them honestly, being especially truthful with ourselves. It could be a very painful and difficult process, but a necessary one if we want to free ourselves from the burden of the past. And in the course of that process we might even find a blessing.
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
I have always felt that no experience is ever wasted, even painful ones. We can learn from everything that happens to us. And I have the belief and the hope that God can transform those painful experiences into something meaningful. Even a pandemic.
In the meantime, please take care of yourself – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Remember that God loves you and there are better things to come.
I know you’ve got a lot of good things happening up ahead
The past is gone, it’s all been said
So here’s to what the future brings
I know tomorrow you’ll find better things.
Divine Overtones 