The past elicits many feelings in a person’s heart – fondness, bitterness, regret, shame, and so on. Whatever feeling it may be, there is one thing we can do about it and that is to learn from it. Otherwise, those feelings would shackle us and may hinder us from enjoying the present and looking forward to the future with excitement and hope.
We may have often heard from those close to us how their past affects them now. A lot of people still carry the burdens of their past. But if we use them as stepping stones to reach our goals, our past may empower us instead of being a burden.
As Bro. Randy Borromeo said at the Glorietta Feast, during his talk on Younique: Your Past, your past was not perfect, but it was perfect for your purpose. He discussed the three things that affect our past, which were position, parenting, and pattern.
Position is about our birth order. First borns, middle children and the youngest in the family exhibit different traits. The kind of parenting we received has a big effect on how our character was molded. Parenting could be punitive, permissive, poisonous or positive. It is good to keep in mind that what shaped us was how we responded to the parenting. Pattern refers to generational sins. Sometimes, there is a homing instinct, or the weakness manifests in our character. Let us not be disheartened if we fall, for in our weakness the power of God is made manifest. With the help of prayers, we have the power to decide the sin committed by our forebears can stop with us.
The stories of Joseph the dreamer and Queen Esther from the Bible were related. The third story is about Margaret who was hunchback, blind and a dwarf. From her birth, she was imprisoned by her parents and kept away from society. When she turned 14, feeling there was no use for her, she was abandoned by her parents. Fortunately, she was adopted by a priest and taught about the Catholic faith. Margaret visited prisoners every day and ministered to unwanted children. Years after her death, she was beatified and became the patron saint of the unwanted. What is common about these three persons was they all had a LIVING HOPE.
And that is a beautiful example for us to emulate. No matter our backgrounds, failures, or weaknesses, we can still live with hope and gratitude for the gift of life. And remember the words from Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’
We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.
~ George Bernard Shaw
The more anger towards the past you carry in your heart, the less capable you are of loving in the present.
~ Barbara De Angelis
It's Not Just About Me 