True to her name, Grace came along to join in this new season of my life. A season of joy in the fulfillment of dreams beyond my wildest imaginings. The years of heartache and loneliness were behind me and the hard work of healing and letting go opened the way for many new and exciting, though at times hard and painful, days ahead. After all, isn’t letting go of the hurt, offenses and disappointments of life challenging? Our human nature wants to nurture those grievances and to nurse the old wounds.

However, I began to learn that hanging onto the pain of the past, would only serve to plant seeds of bitterness. And that over time these seeds would sprout, threatening to take root in the fresh soil of a new beginning.

Now, back to Grace. It was during this time that God quite literally dropped her into my world. While God was busy at work drawing the wounds from deep within my heart, up to the surface, in order to apply the healing balm of his love, He was also opening new experiences that included hours and miles of shared adventure with Grace at my side.

A few things I’ve learned about healing and letting go.

• Healing doesn’t happen overnight
• It won’t do any good to fight God, though He is patient with His stubborn child. So best to cooperate.
• I had to be willing to let go of _____ (Ouch! and Hard!) and not take it back.
• Over time I learned to trust Him even when it was hard and painful!
• I had to be willing to look at my part in “it” and to ask God for forgiveness.
• When God forgives, He cast my sin as far as the east from the west.
• With forgiveness (both of myself and others) His word tells me that He actually forgets!
• So, when I’m tempted to dredge up the past that we’ve already dealt with I remember that He’s forgotten and He reminds me to get on with my good life!

Though the above list may sound simple, trust me though simple sounding, certainly not easy! There are many more thoughts that I could add to that list, but I encourage you to write your own list, or lists. Write a list of grievances to take before God, a list of questions, He likes that. Write a list of what you are angry, disappointed, disillusioned, frustrated about. Then offer them up as a prayer. And as you do He promises His children… Cast all your cares 0n [me] because [I] care for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Please take a moment to leave a comment, like and share. Your interest will go a long way in helping me as I work to pursue publication of my upcoming book, Tails of Grace and Mercy, joy and comfort dressed in fur-bearing love.