look back at your life: see what is true and good
I didn’t know it was true. For me. For my mind and heart and story. I didn’t know what it felt like to experience a new outlook, to receive a different lens for the same life I’ve always lived.
Two weeks ago, I spent an hour a day letting God direct my attention to my past, to my childhood. I sat at his feet and surrendered, the best I could, my mind and heart. I gave him my imagination, and He showed me images of experiences I had forgotten. He put me back into the story of my childhood–after I was born, when I was born, and before I was born.
It was learning God’s delight in my existence before I was given to my parents, placed in my mother’s womb, that changed how I view my life. It underscores the way I see my past and present–and my ideas for my future, too.
I didn’t know I was so loved. I didn’t know so much joy could be had over me. Can you let yourself imagine the raucous party in heaven–wild and beautiful–over the truth of you? Do you want to?
And then last week, I let God guide me through memories of my twenties. Because of my new sense of belonging–and belovedness–I approached the exercises with God with optimism and curiosity. Rather than assuming God was going to point me to memories of my failures and regrets, (which was my usual way of viewing the world) I was delighted when He showed me blessing after blessing–in moments I had not celebrated as good before.
There is good here, in our stories. There is good here, in our disappointments and mistakes. There is good here, in our trust in God to show us how He views us, how He loves us, how He redeems everything and has loved–and never stopped loving us–from the beginning. And God’s definition of the beginning, of course, is so much different than our own.
Will you join me? Will you grab God’s hand and spend time allowing him to guide you through your past? Even if you have spent time doing this with him before?
Even after I have spent hours and hours, over the years, inviting God into my imagination and heart–into the deep places in me I thought were better to keep hidden–I have found that continued surrender of our ideas about who we are, what we think, and what we are convinced we have figured out will always lead to deeper intimacy with God.
I want that more than anything else.
So, this week, as I ask him to guide me through memories of the rest of my life so far, I expect a few things will happen: I will feel safe; I will be held; I will fall even more deeply in love with the one who knows and loves me most. And it will be good.
For the Loop Poetry Project this week, will you write a poem that speaks to your journey with your past? How do you feel about looking back at moments in your life? Will you express it?
Or, will you describe a moment from your life that has changed you? A pivotal memory? A turn?
Let your heart wander around for a bit in this landscape of your past–a past that might feel both old and new, or familiar and completely unfamiliar too.
Will you let God guide you? Will you let him navigate you through memory’s terrain? It will be good, though it will likely not be easy. And I pray Jesus’ protection over you as you say yes to this invitation. There is good here. That is the promise.
And please, when you have written your poem down, will you share it in the comments below? And will you join us in the Loop Poetry Project group, a space for women to share poetry that expresses the deepest places of their hearts?
Say yes.
Honored to share this space with you,
Jennifer
Ache
(a response to Mary Oliver in her poem, “Messenger”)
You tell me my work in the world is gratitude
a bowing, a pointing to the sky
and noticing its blue
or the soft coat of a dog
or the timeless song of my children’s laughter
even as it fades
from memory, and you tell me to touch this heart’s ache
as it struggles to feel
enough joy, enough pain, and wonder
as this world remembers when it was new and good
and beautiful.
And I disagree.
For my work is more than gratitude. It is remembering
his arms around me
and the celebration of birth and love and all things
good and pure.
And where home is—my work is remembering home and aching
for it to come again, back to me.
17 Comments
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Abyss
For years I’ve known the abyss
How deep and dark it was
Countless times I found myself falling in
Ever since I was a child
I was left in the abyss
Until one day
You offered me your hand
And said “daughter have faith in me, trust me”
Shaken with fear and uncertainty
I felt the warmth of your words
I took your hand
And ever since
I no longer know the abyss
Instead I know the love and promises you told me
I felt your love and joy in my heart
Always and forever will you be my savior
I am forever blessed
In Jesus name, Amen
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LOVE this! I felt this in my soul! 🙏🏽🙌🏽
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So wonderful to see you here, Erica!
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I truly am deeply touched by your writings! Thank you for sharing!♥️
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Letrice, thank you for your poem. “Until one day…” so powerful and beautiful. So grateful for the hope you share here.
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Thank you Jennifer! I’m grateful for the opportunity to even have discovered this.
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Latrice,
Thank you for giving us a glance at your soul through the window of this poem.
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Yes! And I am so happy to see you here, Jiahanna!
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Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.♥️
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Jiahanna,
It’s my pleasure. I’m grateful to be able to use it express Gods grace.
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This really spoke to my heart, i keep wondering about my pass before before
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How can I say goodbye to a long time companion.
Say goodbye to my old friend Past? That sad, full of mistakes and shame and grief old friend of mine.
So hard to keep him quite. So hard to laugh when he raises his loud memories to my today.
All the confusion, the loneliness, and shame, again and again.
Am I going to miss you? Am I going to long for you? When Jesus comes to make you all new?
When he shines his light and his life and takes away the shame?
Am I brave enough to let you go? And let you be something so beautiful and bright and full of blessings in such a way that I almost can’t recognize you?
I don’t know. But sure He knows. So I guess this is goodbye. Don’t know if I’ll see you again soon…I just feel I’m about to leave a prison that I myself choose to stay for longer than I should.
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This is raw and powerful. I’m certain that many can relate to it and even feel it. Thank you for sharing your heart.
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Alci, I could have written this myself. Thank You for sharing it and for letting me know I’m not alone in feeling this way.
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Alci, oh that prison! I know this place so, so well! Thank and God bless you, sister! Thank you so much for your words. What was it like for you to write this poem?
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Yes there had been time after time when I’ve spoken to the Lord and have seen my past this his eyes and sorrowful as a little girl He Blessed me with beautiful parents I had a lovely childhood though as growing up and knowing how this world is without you I would see things so different loneliness. Parents old fashion and would keep things from us and as I grew up yes there were secrets and it was hard to know about tho the Love of my parents I just ha to look ahead and as a full adult still empty spaces and then you Lord called on to me and how I saw this beautiful world you gave me and as I remember all those times my life could of had been taken and yet alive and You called me and by your Grace my life has been more meaningful more then ever. Yes there are times the enemy tries and I just hold on to You to see this the life that you promise me I’m so blessed and hold on to you that keeps me going TY My Lord And God For Choosing Me AMEN!
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Bless you, Linda! Thank you so much for sharing your prayer here. My heart feels it deeply.