If you haven't read part one of my blog, which came out last week, you should do that now so that you have context to this one. In it I wrote about my two miscarriages and somethings that God taught me through experiencing personal loss. We will continue our conversation this week—from my heart to yours here's a couple more things I'm learning in relation to loss and the figurative death of dreams in my life.
Don’t let past pain project itself into your present and future.
Just because you’ve experienced the death of a dream does not mean your future is lifeless. As soon as I lost one child, I began seeing my future childless. I wondered if I would ever have another child again.
My future, which once looked full of promise, now seemed bleak and daunting. My present pain was clouding my thoughts. Here’s a thought, if our past pain isn’t released to God, it often projects itself into our present and future. When I was pregnant with my sixth child, having lost two of the six, I was worried the entire first trimester.
My past pain had me tied in knots over my present. It was robbing me of the joy I had once found in being a pregnant mama. What should have been an exciting season held with it shadows of worry and what ifs. There came a point in time when I had to make up my mind that I wouldn’t let my past pain rob me of my present blessings.
Every time I had a thought of worry, I would quote the scripture found in Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith it is impossible to please God … He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” I would remind myself to have faith and to trust God.
Friend, believe today that your future is full of hope, rich life and dreams being fulfilled. Don’t let past pain project itself into your future. God is a healing, restoring, rebuilding type of God. The future is limitless.
Remember who you are.
In the Bible, I love the story of Ruth and Naomi. It's a story of internal defeat, victory and triumph. Of human frailty and loss turned into promise and hope. The death of Naomi’s sons and husband heartlessly gouged out part of her soul. It left a huge festering wound of pain, disillusionment and disappointment. Disappointment for Naomi led to discouragement and discouragement, which led to a distorted identity of herself.
Instead of being called blessed, she asks her friends to rename her Mara, meaning bitter. Naomi tried to give herself a new name as she walked through the literal death of loved ones.
Never rename yourself in the midst of heartache. Remember who you are past your pain.
You are not a failure. You are not a nobody. You are not meaningless and purposeless. You are a child of the most high God. He has marked you with purpose. The apparent death of this dream was allowed to do something in you. You will come out stronger. God will open up doors of favor and opportunity ahead of you. You are more than, in His eyes.
In our lowest moments when it seems as if God has taken up residence in Antarctica, as far away from us as possible, remind yourself of who He is and make decisions based on that.
"Remember who He has called you to be and dare to move forward, choosing faith over fear."
Don’t let fear of the future paralyze you because of what has taken place in the past. Move now. Stay true to who God has created you to be. The feelings will come later.
"Embrace the courage to hope once again."
Photo Credit: Julia Khalimova
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