Renewal

By Kelly Carroll

Forget the former things;

Do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  Isaiah 43:18

Renewal is a beautiful thing.  There is no law that says we have to keep things the same way that they have been.  What are you holding on to that you are ready to let go of?  What would you like to add to your life?

Most people take everything that happened yesterday and bring it into today.  Everything.  Once in a while there are some life changing events that add a new component to what we are doing, but for the most part things go along and it seems like it has to be that way.  This is how old feelings from the past form the feelings we have today; we carry them with us.  And sometimes that gets to be a heavy load.  We see most everyone around us doing it that way too, so of course it seems very normal.  We think that is the way life is.  And if you are dealt a bad hand, you carry that.  And if you are lucky, you carry that.  And if someone hurts you, you carry that.  And if someone hurts you really bad, you carry that.  It gets heavy.  

 It seems that is the way life is because we see it all around us.  Well, life is much more than that.  Much more!  Renewal is available.  There is no law of the Universe that says we must carry the past forward into every day.  It is not a given, it is a choice.  The past will continue to create what we experience as long as we carry it.  As long as we give it power, it affects what we experience today.  In reality, you are free to form yourself into what you desire at any point. The past does not choose who you are; you do.  Refresh your ideas of who you are and choose who you want to be and what you want to live like.

Time for some spring cleaning.  Doesn’t it feel great after you clean everything out and then walk into a fresh new room?  It feels more open, clean and much more livable than before.  What can you clean out in your thoughts and feelings about yourself to give you a fresh, open perspective?  Be honest with yourself about thoughts you hold on to that hold you down.  No matter who helped you experience these thoughts about yourself, they are yours now, no one thinks in your mind but you.  Continually replaying scenes that have hurt you may help you feel sorry for yourself, but they won’t change your life for the better.  Painful memories may help you feel you were right and that other horrible person was wrong, but that doesn’t feel as good as the freshness and glory of a life well lived.  A life well lived is worth letting go of the old mess.  Clean it out.  Let it go, it’s been going on long enough.

Forgiveness is the key to clearing out the past and making room for a fresh new experience of your choosing.  Just hold up to the light all of the thoughts that have been weighing your experience down and say I let it all go.  I forgive the whole entire thing and I am now releasing this experience up to God.  Rest assured that it is done.  Your willingness to let go and asking for renewal is all that it takes regardless of what it is that you don’t want to carry anymore.  This is the time to renew your thoughts about anything in the past that feels heavy when you think of it.  It can be self image, believing you can’t have what you want, feeling you aren’t good enough, something terrible you experienced that still hurts you, it can be anything.  Be brave, ask God for the freedom from this.  It will be lifted.

And once you have that fresh open space that renewal brings, remember, it is your choice what to fill it up with.  Choose well. 

About the Author:  Creative Inspiration:  Kelly Carroll consults with musicians, writers, film artists and others to inspire their most powerful creativity and true success.  Call (360) 739 8628 for consultations or e mail kelly@canyon-news.com

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