I was just cleaning a storage shelf and discovered my children’s old Chutes and Ladder game. It got me thinking about life and the way folks process their problems. The ultimate goal should be to move forward with God’s directions and help. This is not always the case.
Moving Forward and Upward
As Skye and I listen to the broken hearted “check-ins” in group, we can identify the ones who are actively progressing. They have started to talk about the future. We see them landing on a Chutes and Ladder square that has a nice ladder allowing them to skip many other obstacles and move forward and upward.
Unfortunately, there are others who are still not “letting go” of their past or their former partner. We hear things such as, “I was doing fine until I drove by her house and there was a car there that I have never seen before.” Of course the assumption is that someone of the opposite sex is visiting. Or, “he came by to pick up the kids wearing a new jacket. How dare he buy something new when he gives me so little child support?” Most of these negative scenarios are not what one thinks. For instance, it is very common for one going through this journey to make new, same sex friends who would visit your former partner or for your former’s parents to buy him a new jacket as a gift of encouragement.
Dwelling on the Past Sends You Backwards
Whatever the case, these inquisitive persons have allowed their negative thoughts to put them on one of the slides in the game of life which sets them back several months or even to the beginning of their healing journey.
My wonderful counselor told me to pray that God would not let me know anything that I did not need to know about my former during the healing journey. That, of course, put some responsibility on me to not allow myself to question or dwell on the unknown.
Get off the game board and trust God to provide an awesome, new future for you with all the provisions needed for it to occur. Your former is no longer your source for happiness nor your reason for your unhappiness. You must “let go” and “press on” for a much better future. It is up to you to claim your happiness.