I really enjoyed the movie, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. In the movie you had a regular everyday person whose thoughts were extraordinary. He always imagined being someone else more important than himself. Walter’s mind wondered what it would be like to be someone else, to do something big; to be a hero. Now there is nothing wrong with thinking about achieving set goals and I don’t think it is wrong to want to be a hero. But many folk’s thoughts are not on being a hero but more on worrying about what happened in the past and the what ifs of the future.
Let’s examine the mind and look into our thoughts for a moment. I believe floating around in the mind are anxious thoughts, which I will call mines. We have thoughts that are pleasant but many are wicked. You know those thoughts that we never want to remember. Maybe it is something bad from the past? Maybe someone wronged us or we committed a wrong against other person? Flowing around in our mind is this compact memory and when we think about it long enough….Boom! The memory explodes and floods our thoughts with that event. All other ideals and thoughts at that moment are paralyzed. So, there you are frozen with thoughts of pain, hurt, embarrassment and maybe bits of forbidden pleasure and desire. Like Walter Mitty, you’ve become unaware of your current situation and your mind is now surfing in another place and time.
A person once told me that yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not promised, and thus all we have is today. I understand what he was telling me but sometimes my mines from the past blow up making me momentarily mentally and emotionally stuck. So what do I do? I pray. I talk to God. You see, He has forgiven my past sins and He has helped me to do the same with those who have sinned against me. The memories are there like the scar on my ankle. 20 or so years ago I had second and third degree burns on my ankle. The pain is no longer a factor in my life but the scar is there to remind me of my injury and that event. Like the scar of my ankle so are the scars in my mind. They are constant reminders of past hurts and pain.
You know the Lord tells us that we have a Savior who went to the Cross for all our failures past, present, and future; thus His scars are a reminder to me of my healing.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5
So there it is folks. We don’t have to stay stuck in the past nor be stuck because of the past. The next time your little mines explode in your mind, expose them to God. Take your thoughts to Him in prayer and thank Him for forgiving and helping you to forgive the sins committed. Listen!
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28
When you start to think about your past hurt, remember God’s forgiveness. Think about it.
