The past is past

I am watching the movie "The Butterfly Effect" with Ashton Kutcher. In the movie something terrible happens and the main character has an opportunity to go back and change history. But when he does, it produces new consequences that he never anticipated. So in an attempt to make things better he goes back again and again. Some things turn out better and others far worse.

The truth is that all of us have things in our past that we wish we could go back and change. I don't know how many times I wish I could wave a magic wand and make the bad stuff disappear. But you know what? If I did I would be a different person. The truth is the bad stuff, my mom's drinking and leaving the family, her death at an early age, my struggles in college all made me stronger and more compassionate. It was because of the breakup of my family that I ended up in church and was surround by a group of loving Christians who helped foster an environment that allowed me to hear and answer the call of God.

I'm not saying that every bad thing that happens should be embraced. What I am saying is that if we overcome those painful moments, they become stepping stones to blessing that we carry with us and share.

It's kind of like Jesus on the cross. He had to bear that pain before he could become the Savior. The thing to remember is that he was not alone. God did not forsake him. He was with him every step of the way. He does the same thing for us. All you got to do is call. Remember that poem "Footprints in the Sand." That is the truth of our faith. We get though those difficult, painful moments because he carries us.

So you don't need to change the past. You only need to remember the source of your strength, God. Then your past becomes your blessing.

Cal