On my recent trip to Uganda I had an opportunity to visit with a group of widows and single mother's. Many had been abandoned by their husbands when the going got tough. All had children they were raising, some were raising other people's children. They had unbelievable stories of difficulty and struggle. They come together weekly to support each other, we give them a place to meet and usually prepare a short lesson of some sort with the purpose of equipping them in life. This particular day a guest speaker had been invited. He was speaking about preparing for the future. Given the stories of these women, it is important to speak about memories from the past. I really appreciated his illustration for the purpose of memories.
According to this illustration, positive and negative memories from the past serve as lessons for the present and bring hope for the future. I believe that. We choose the impact that the past has on our present and future. We choose to let it define us, and ultimately hinder our future growth. We could also choose to learn from those lessons, let them inform the future, and grow through the experience. I've come to many points in my own life where I had to ask if that circumstance was going to define or refine me. Though it may not be immediately, I usually choose the latter.
I ask you, are you choosing to let your past define or refine you?
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