How do you heal past hurts? I have been thinking about this for a while now. I think that we have to place ourselves in another’s position. We have to reverse the hurt, and see what the other is trying to tell us. I have often wondered about how it is possible for us to forgive and move forward. How do we move out of whatever denial we are in about the hurt? We are thinking about what we are going to lose instead of accepting it and moving forward.
Yom Kippur is the Jewish custom of forgiving and discussing grievances with another. That day we can discuss a past hurt, or wrong and work it out. What an incredible idea. The bad part is most people are too scared, or too prideful to accept they must have done something wrong. A week ago I was put to that test regarding past hurts with individuals that hurt my family a great deal regarding my uncle. First of all I am friends with these individuals and mistakes were made during his illness. I don’t like what happened but if I hold on to it, it will only hurt me in the long run. Bitterness, anger, disappointments, and pride would have plagued my heart. My uncle would not have done that. He remembered things, but always gave another chance to someone.
Last year was a not a good year, but it was huge a learning lesson for me and my relationship with Christ. I try not to bear grudges, and to be honest I’m not always so great about that. I remember things, and analyze them sometimes to the point where it consumes me. Some hurts are never going to go away and I think we have to accept that. The pain in our heart is a reminder to us to always try to become a better person, and learn from our mistakes or try to break the cycle. I don’t believe God will always remove the pain that we feel. I think sometimes he wants us to remember it so we are less likely to judge another in their time of pain.
Our country is in a great deal of pain right now. Financially we are drowning and I wonder if we are in some sort of denial about that. I wonder if we really do believe that we can spend our way of debt, because that is what we have been taught. These protests around the world, and right now in our country are all about the money that we no longer have. This is reality of it. We do not have any more money. It does matter how much more we tax wealthy it is not going to solve that problem, because we are only going to want more from them because we don‘t think it is fair. Too bad - get over it. They will be held accountable by God on how they use their money.
The below scripture is the story of the Good Samaritan. I question which one I would be in all circumstances and I am starting to think that most of us need to do that. We reap what we sow.
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.” Luke 10:30-37
I read an article in a British paper regarding the United States. A retired government official stated that Americans are in denial of their current state of affairs. Americans understand there are economic problems, but they are living in some sort of denial about it. They can’t seem to accept that they will have to adjust to a new way of life. Britain and most of Europe is facing the same economic problems that we are, but they seem to get that they either are going to have to raise taxes on everyone, or cut everything.
A friend asked me how do you know what to give and what to do? Over the last few months I have been paying attention to that little voice in my head about giving and what to do. If it becomes persistent in my mind and heart over a period of time then I know I need to do it. Then it just becomes my choice. Not all the choices have been good but most have been ok. The other thing is I do not like the idea of having to defend what I do for another. It makes me furious, because that is no one’s business about what we do for another.
One of the biggest problems in this country is we are constantly asking what is being given. We are constantly forcing our opinion of what giving is on another. We have to know what the other is doing whether they are wealthy, middle class, or poor. When people do that to another I always want to ask what they are doing. I always want to say to them; you can quote scripture and throw it in their face, but what are you doing? I’m not supposed to do that as a Christian, because I am accountable to him only. When we persecute another in Christ the person that is doing that has already failed him. He will hold the person that is quoting the scripture not the one you are trying to abuse with it.
I am going to ask the question are we willing to sacrifice all that we are for our governing authorities. Are we willing to question them regarding what they are asking us to give? The definition of giving is giving without any benefit to us. We are forcing individuals in this country to give to what they don’t believe in. Why are we doing that?
I have a hard time with the liberal mind in this country just for that very reason. They are trying to tell me what I should be doing in my life and how to live. They don’t think I am compassionate to another, because I would rather hold myself accountable to my actions. I would rather accept that if I am financially irresponsible that it is my fault. I would rather take care of my parents and their health later in life than have the government tell me how to do it. I would rather look at a person in the eye that is hurting financially and give them what they need without them telling me that I have to do it.
Would Christ really tell us that the authorities must force us to give as whole group or would he ask the individual what they did and why they didn’t do it? Would we turn a blind eye to another no matter what our economic standing is? If we say we are Christians than I am convicting our hearts to ask if it is right to force another to do something against their will.
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