I was talking to a man the other day who had encountered a lot of difficulty in his life. Most of us will never face what this man faced. He had a tragic upbringing. He watched a family member be murdered, and then his girlfriend died suddenly in the prime of his life. He said it caused him so much pain and bitterness that he would have suicidal thoughts. He said, "I could hardly get away from it, and I was living in this place of destruction." One day, he called on the name of the Lord! He cried out to God, and then he began to train himself to run long distances. He would run and run, and it was like he was running from his past and running toward God. He said as he stretched, pressed and reached every day, he realized that those emotional wounds began to heal. He said he was able to accomplish things he never thought possible. He became a doctor, and today, he has 35 employees.
How does that happen? He should have been a statistic. He should have never gotten out of his past because it was so painful. He said that it was only God who stretched him forward.
Today, you may have some things from the past that are causing you some problems. You may realize it was the way you were raised, or maybe something recently is trying to hold you back. Turn to God and run! Run into His arms of hope, forgiveness and acceptance. Let Him heal the hurts of the past and empower you to move forward into a bright and blessed future. You don't have to stay stuck where you are. God wants to set you free to embrace the dreams and desires He has in store for you!
"The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10, NIV)