Growing up in Southern Illinois, I clearly took the beautiful colors of oak and maple trees during the fall season for granted. Now, that I live in north Texas, the gorgeous colors of red, orange, and burgundy are greatly missed. In order to get my ‘fix’, I planted two maple and red oak trees in my yard. They’re currently in infant stage, so they really don’t provide much color during the fall. So in order to possibly see these vibrant colors, we have to go to older neighborhoods or parks. Recently, my family and I discovered a way of witnessing the season change by visiting the nearest lake. It’s populated with native Texas trees which leaves don’t turn from green to yellow like most in the area. On our latest hike at the lake, we accidentally navigated off the man-made course to a rock covered road. Although, we were not in the heart of the heavy wooded park; there were adorable trees aligned along the road.
My children have discovered a new happiness regarding the family hikes. On this particular day, we tagged along with our neighbors and their children. Their son is three years younger than our oldest, Bryce, and three years older than our youngest, Caleb. The three typically have no problems playing together; however, at times, Caleb apparently feels babied and left out. Due to his age, ability to keep up, and the terrain of the trail, we always have a jogging stroller nearby. Caleb mostly desires to walk with everyone, while occasionally announcing his independence of his parents and big brother. As we approached a large hill, I asked if he wanted to ride. He declined. We have noticed that hiking up a hill is not as difficult as descending. The loose gravel and dirt in a downward angle increases the chances of losing your balance. Caleb nicely climbed and completed the hill at the back of the pack. I and others, being ahead, (excluding his close-by mother) suddenly heard an outburst of crying and yelling. As we turned around to see what the fuss was about, we noticed that Caleb had fallen and scraped his leg. As he hollered, he danced, then he hollered and danced some more. His mother nicely placed him on her leg to visually examine his wound. Over his yells and kicking feet, my wife asked for water to cool. As she poured water over the friction, everyone noticed that it was minor and continued to hike. However, Caleb kept crying and momma kept hugging and coddling. Eventually, I had to pick him up, place him in the stroller, and inform him that he was fine. Although, it may appear insensitive; the ‘pushy, get over it’ method had to be applied. Even to a three year old.
I’m sure that all of us have had these moments. We get hurt, we cry and grieve; then, a caring, concerned person comforts and encourages us. Its human nature to assure that someone in pain is okay. However, after a period of time, it’s abnormal and uncomfortable witnessing someone consistently anguishing about a 30 year old occurrence. In the past, I have found it hard to let go of offenses. ‘Playing the blame game’ and reliving failed past pursuits were common. Some of my grievances were initially expected, but after a prolonged period, my self-absorption became downright obsessive and debilitating. Close friends became ‘shoulders to cry on’, while family members and authority figures were fingered as the root cause. Repetitively acknowledging past trauma is extremely unattractive and a perfect way to isolate yourself from healthy people. It’s truly best to let your hurts and disappointments go.
Please believe that I’m not heartless to whatever you or some love one may have endured. Only you and God know how what you experienced has affected you. There should definitely be a period of reflection, mourning, and healing. However, there is a point in everyone’s life where they MUST move forward for healthy overall development. It is required to experience your full potential. How silly would it have been for us to sit on the off-course rocky road for years exclaiming, ‘Oh poor, poor Caleb, he scraped his knee and hurt himself’? When you think about it in this matter, it’s comical. At some point, I’m sure our three year old would’ve eventually recognized that he was physically better and considered it foolish not to move on. Whether he proceeded or not would’ve been his choice. Fortunately for him, he believed and heeded the advice of his loving father. After being picked up, placed in a secure location, and carried for a few hundred yards; he decided to get up and live out new experiences (Psalms 30:5). The sooner, he chose to brush off the pains of his fall; the sooner, he was able to experience his purpose that day.
When healthy people realize you are safe, they move on. Sometimes, surrounding yourself with overly empathetic people can cause you to remain stagnate in life development. Understanding and relating can create a very strong connection. When you decide to move forward, while the other doesn’t; this may create an obvious dilemma. Some disassociations are beneficial for growth. Encountering loving words of accountability is helpful when dealing with hard to ‘get pass’ issues. Practicing the advice of a trusted, observant, and challenging loved one may be what you need. Take a chance and move forward by letting go of what’s holding you back from experiencing ‘what you came here to do’. You may be unaware that you are silently ‘dancing, hollering, dancing, and hollering’, while everyone around you is moving forward with life.
If you don’t have someone who will pick you up, carry you, encourage you, and proclaim you healed; I have just the person for you. As I did for my son, Jesus Christ will do for you. Heed his advice and accept His way and begin the journey of ‘doing what you came here to do’.
If you desire to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please click on the link below.
http://www.intouch.org/resources/all-things-are-new/content/topic/how_do_i_accept_jesus_as_my_savior_all_things
