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While
he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from Jairus's home with the
message, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher
now." But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don't be
afraid. Just trust me." Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let
anyone go with him except Peter and James and John. When they came to the home
of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw the commotion and the weeping and wailing. He
went inside and spoke to the people. "Why all this weeping and
commotion?" he asked. "The child isn't dead; she is only asleep."
The crowd laughed at him, but he told them all to go outside. Then he took the
girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl
was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her, "Get up, little girl!"
And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around!
Her parents were absolutely overwhelmed. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone
what had happened, and he told them to give her something to eat. (Mark
5:35-43 NLV).
I have trained several different
breeds of hunting dogs in my past. By far the easiest for me were the Beagles
that my dad and I had raised. One of the most important qualities of these
animals was that they be tolerant to the sudden loud noise of a gun discharging.
We didn’t want them to be “gun-shy.” We have all heard that term applied
to humans as well, usually in reference to a person who was emotionally injured
in a relationship and is now cautious about entering another relationship due to
the hurts of the past. It is also a known fact that one's childhood does, to
some degree, affect one's adult psyche. It can make you equally as
“gun-shy.”
Knowingly or unknowingly, we humans tend to carry lots of emotional baggage.
These hurts of the past often affect how we react to situations today, embracing
them or fearing them. It is a sad fact that such past injuries can so easily
allow one to erect walls, supposedly for our own protection, but which often end
up imprisoning us. The secure fortress we create to keep out hurts, soon becomes
a prison. Outside the walls are love, peace, and happiness, but unless the walls
are removed, we can never fully know the joy that is ours for the taking. Ralph
Waldo Emerson, wisely states, "Why should we grope among the dry bones of
the past, or put the living generation into masquerade out of its faded
wardrobe?"
In my own life, I can recall how the injuries of my past, not only robbed me of
various personal and professional opportunities. During one particular period, I
avoided any meaningful interaction with others. It was only after some honest
soul-searching and professional help from a wonderful Christian counselor that I
was able to be honest and admit that the emotional baggage I carried was in no
way helpful, but actually harmful to my entire being.
Releasing the often negative and suffocating grip of the past is exactly what
Christ calls us to do. We are not to dwell among the barren bones of past loves
and past hurts, but to feast our eyes upon the richness of the moment, and the
joyous hope of the future! Emotional scars are not signs of weakness or defeat,
but badges of victory that we have tread rough waters, and not only survived,
but emerged all the more wise! Difficult moments in life are not meant to be a
heavy ball and chain, but a balloon on a string that allows us to live, learn
and cast our eyes always to the Lord. Then we can focus on present joy and keep
the past with its failures and the future with its fears from robbing us. Today,
won't you call out to God and tell Him you are ready to let go of the past and
look toward a new tomorrow?
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