Moving On

Today my oldest daughter is graduating from high school. This is a great accomplishment! My little girl is growing up and moving on. Today I will attend a ceremony that recognizes this achievement.  Recognition is important with so many things in life.

In our own lives we have many things we need to graduate from. Life moves forward, with or without us, and each year we age a little older, but hopefully a little wiser. Memories are wonderful but are only memories. There is always another tomorrow to think about.

But sometimes it is hard to let go of old habits and old ways. We stand still instead of moving forward when we are stuck in the ruts of our problems and our past.

One reason for this is we often foster those things which fester by giving them too much attention. We give our problems a life of their own when we dwell on them, focus our time and energy on them, and when we endlessly bring them to the attention of others. Ignoring problems may not make them go away, but obsessing over them and favoring them certainly will not either.

Some of our most difficult trials are those we really brought on ourselves. We can curse God and say "why me," or "how could you let this happen" when we really should be asking ourselves these questions. The consequences of earlier mistakes often bring on painful repercussions. These trials have some redeeming qualities, however, we often learn from these bitter pills not to make the same mistakes again.

Perhaps another definition of forsaking sin is to let go of the memory of the sin, the worry about the sin, the drama surrounding the sin, and even the reason for the sin in the first place. Letting go and moving on is as much about letting go of the emotional attachments as the sinful acts and practices. Putting the past in the past requires putting the past in the past for good.

Sufficient reflection and remorse should eventually come to an end. The grieving process has a grieving period, and when that period is over we must put our shoulder to the wheel and push forward. To get closure we will usually need God's help, but when we cast our burdens on His shoulders, His grace is sufficient to lift us out of the darkness, and help us find closure and peace.

Congratulations to McKenna for graduating! Here's to a bright and wonderful future!