BREAKING THE POWER OF PAINFUL MEMORIES

Do you have any painful memories? Perhaps of a trauma in recent times or maybe there are scenes from your childhood that still hurt. You could be uncomfortable looking back at mistakes you made or you may try to turn away from reminders of an awful betrayal.

In the year 2000, our precious two years old daughter (and only child at the time) suddenly died. In the weeks after she passed away, we did our best to put our lives back together. But there were certain memories that could pull me down in a moment. They would be triggered by everyday experiences…

 

TRIGGERS

If I saw signposts pointing to the town where she died or if an ambulance drove by, I would feel myself being sucked back into agonising memories. I did not want to go back to these pictures of pain, so I would work hard to look away.

My first visit to my workplace after she died was awful. As I walked into the office, I realised that the last time I was there, she was still alive. I saw myself sitting at my desk reading a worrying text from my husband about her health. I used all my strength to try to turn away from this memory but ended up having a panic attack.

 

FEAR OF FEELING THE PAIN (AGAIN)

What made these memories so scary was that I could not bear the thought of feeling that pain again. I was afraid of being dragged back. But the Bible is clear that fear is one of the enemy’s weapons. We are not supposed to be fearful of anything.

It is fear that gives painful memories their power. I made a decision. I would never again turn away from a memory. Instead, whenever something reminded me of the agony, I would go into my Heavenly Father’s presence and pour out my pain and ask Him to heal my heart.

Bit by bit, God restored every corner of my heart and took all my pain away. Now I can look at any picture from my past without any wariness. I encourage you to change your perspective of painful memories. From now on, see them as signposts telling you that you have hurt that needs to be healed.

 

THE CAVERNS OF YOUR SOUL

Painful experiences usually produce painful memories and they cause inner pain. Proverbs 20:27 says that God shines His light into “the inner depths of the heart”. In the Hebrew, inner depths actually means caverns or apartments. Your heart is like a huge house with many rooms.

If you bring broken treasures or even junk into your house, there is only one way of getting them out. Locking them away in a room won’t take them away. In the same way, pain trapped inside the caverns of your soul will remain until it is released.

 

YOUR MEMORIES ARE SIGNS

Lamentations 3:20 says, “My soul still remembers and sinks within me.” If any memory still makes your heart churn, it’s a memory God still wants to heal. Next time you are reminded of painful pictures from your past, please don’t turn away. Go into God’s presence and pour out your pain. Ask Him to heal your heart.

We have one last healing retreat in 2019. Healed for Life MD is Saturday November 16th and Sunday November 17th. It will be life changing. If you’re in the NE & have any painful memories, book fast and allow the Lord to do an awesome, liberating work in your heart & life. You will cross over into 2020 more ready then ever for your destiny.