FORGETTING THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEHIND

     I wanted to tell a story today about something that happened several weeks ago at the ministry where I volunteer my time. This will illustrate the importance of forgetting the past, and lettting it go.  This is a necessity for our physical health, our mental health, and our spiritual health as well As I mentioned I do volunteer work at my Pastor's ministry.  The ministry is an evangelistic ministry where we endeavor to help men and women do something about their spiritual needs.  We have an outreach ministry where we help men and women with their physical needs as well.  We refer to this as the ministry of mercy to Cass  Corridor needy.  The Cass Corridor  is the infamous name of an inner-city region of Detroit, close to the downtown area.  This is the ministry where I am laboring and volunteering my time.  We ministry to many of the homeless in the area; also to the lower income residents of the neighborhood.   This lady, about whom I am telling this story, comes to us each week for help with food.  Her name is Peggy.   The majority of these people are poor, and it's hard for them to get their money to stretch. I said something to her, this day, to try and encourage her.  Five years ago, a man that she'd been in love with, for 11 years suddenly died.  Peggy was devastated.  At the time, we counseled, really prayed hard to try and get her through this rough period.  Like I mentioned when 2013 rolled around, I was trying to bring to her attention how she'd made it another year;  how faithful God had been to enable to gett through another year past Jerry's death.  When I tell her this, she informs me that she hasn't let go, and isn't over his death.   When I tell her that it's important to let go, and move on, she tells me she doesn't want to.  After she left that day, I mulled it over.  Was I wrong in what I said.
I came to the conclusion that she is doing herself a tremendous disservice by refusing to let go of the baggage of 5 years ago.  It is as if she is still carrying around his dead body.  She can't move on with her life while she is still weighted down by the past.  I am not saying that she needs to forget the good memories she has of her loved one, but she has to come to grips with the fact that Jerry is gone from the scene, that chapter of her life is closed forever.  She needs to move on with her life. 
     Consider a person who is carrying a grudge over a wrong that was done in the past.  Just like Peggy in the above paragraph, this person who hasn't forgiven the person who wronged him/her is carrying a dead body around that hinders one from living live to the fullest degree.  And if a person doesn't completely forgive, they shut themselves out of God's forgiveness; for he will only forgive us if we forgive others.  So you can see that ones spiritual health and happiness depends on our letting go of past baggage.   Of course, peace of mind is dependant completely on our letting go of the past;  and it has be clinically demonstrated that  we make ourselves sick by hold to past grievances, and not closing chapters that should be closed.  You see, there is great wisdom in Forgetting those Things that are  Behind.