The Shack

I can't believe that I have never blogged about The Shack.  There must be a mistake somewhere.  Because I am pretty sure I made it known that I was the ONLY person in the world that did NOT enjoy reading that book (KEEP READING)!

So, why am I bringing this up?  It's all Tony's fault!  Yeah, that's right.  I'm naming names.  Because I'm mad (not really).  Because #1.  I don't want to re-read the book (even though I think I should) and #2.  I don't want to draw a picture of my shack (it's scary and ugly and scary)!  And it's just not healthy to be mad at God about this whole healing process, so I'll blame Tony.  And my other friends at church who think "Yeah, Jamie should draw her shack!!!"  Thanks a lot...

At Stories last Friday night, we talked about this idea of shadows, or our past, following us.  Tony used several different movie clips to illustrate this, making me want to watch all of the movies again, except for Saving Private Ryan.  While the story was decent, the movie was 3 hours too long to begin with.

Someone posted this on Facebook this past week and I thought it was very fitting for what I am writing.

I love this picture above.  It is so profound, in light of this concept of our past following us.

Tony said something at Stories that I liked so much I had to copy down.  Not just to share it with all of you, but for myself, as well.  As a reminder.  Tony is a very wise man.  He should be after all that he has gone through and overcome.  God has done an amazing work in this man's life.

This is what he told us:

"You must give God direct access to the most wounded places of your past, to be healed in the present, so you can have a healthier future." -Tony Ingrassia, Author of Stories.  

Don't you just love that?

Tony also has an amazing Power of Purity ministry that is incredible, and has really been a source of freedom and healing in my own marriage.  Check it out.  NOW.  ;-)

Our pasts are right behind us.  They follow us, just like a shadow.  And what we talked about at Stories last week was how Satan uses our past.  He wants us to be so caught up in our pasts, whatever they may be, that we can't focus on God.  Satan uses our past against us.  He holds us, tightly, with the guilt and shame in our past.  He keeps us so focused on the past that it affects us in the present.  It affects every choice we make.  Every step we take.  (That sounds familiar...POLICE anyone?)  

And if we don't go back and revisit our past, and as Tony said during our last counseling session "Bring Jesus to the past", we can't experience healing and a healthy future.  We must confront our past.  We must take Jesus to it.  We must HEAL.  If we just live in the past, and let the past control our minds, emotions and actions, we will never truly be free of the hurts and pain of our past.

You cannot do this if your past is still following you.

Haunting you.

I love the idea of bringing Jesus to my past.

I do not, however, like the idea of revisiting my past.  Of confronting my personal "shack".  Of acknowledging where some of my deep-rooted fears (getting murdered) lie.  I don't want to do it.  But I know that I must.  It has to be done.  I have to be healed.  So that I can be healthier tomorrow.  And I know that, with Jesus, it is safe.  I am protected from the hurts and fears that await me.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."  - Maya Angelou

Is your past chasing you?

Or, have you taken Jesus to your past?