You’re invited! Adventure back in time – to take a fresh new look at your life story.
A treasure hunt – your assignment is to discover or revisit precious nuggets of life lessons. Dig up those secrets – shine the light of forgiveness on mistakes made. Release the story you’ve held prisoner in your heart. Remember, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Listening for God’s Voice
If you’ve been following this Fall in Love Again blog series, you’ll remember that it all started with a faint whisper in my spirit – more like a knowing – when I heard, “fall in love again.” It took some time and prayer before I began to write what has now become a series. If you haven’t read it, here’s the link to the first post: Fall in Love Again – Remember Why You Started.
While my love for all things romance was my first thought, it was clear as I began to write that God had a different plan. As this series unfolds, I see His hand in all of it. We serve a God of order. I pray you continue with me as we follow His lead to Fall in Love Again.
Where to Begin?
Start with a life timeline
I like simple, but you can get as fancy as you like. For ideas you can google “life timeline examples” and you’ll have plenty of examples. Grab a blank sheet of paper, or something bigger like a white board or poster board – something that will allow you to document milestones in your life.
- Draw a horizontal line.
- Mark your milestones. First two are easy. On the left mark the year you were born and on the right today’s date.The remaining milestones are up to you. What significant life events marked a change in your story? Mark as many as you need to get an overview of where you’ve been.
Examine Your Story
Now that your timeline is complete – take a moment to take note of your thoughts and emotions. Our goal is to fall in love with our story. If we believe as the Bible says that “all things work together for good” then be challenged to find the good even in the dark moments.
Take inventory of your life lessons. Your lessons learned may be as simple as “don’t do that again.” On the other hand, you may discover a time when your faith and determination got you through a difficult moment. You may think “I forgot I was capable of that much courage.”
Where’s God in your story? Regardless of your beliefs, I encourage you to notice those times when something greater than you scooped you up into safety. Look for the unexplained.
Embrace your secrets. As you journey over your story you may run across some areas you prefer to keep in the dark – you rifle through a range of emotions as you remember. Know this, you are not the only one with secrets. Find someone you trust and share your secret – a friend, counselor or coach – allow the light of day to shine and heal the hidden hurts of your heart.
“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” Gloria Stuart
Forgive the unforgivable.
My heart breaks for the many “unforgivable” stories I’ve heard from those I’ve coached or counseled over the years. Privileged to a front row seat to their life transformation – I celebrated the freedom they experienced by not only letting go of their secrets but forgiving the seemingly unforgivable.
Consider the words of the Our Father: “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” Sometimes we forget to include ourselves. Start there. Forgive your part in your story. Forgiveness does not forget. Memories stay to teach, encourage and move us forward. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Matthew 6:14 (NLT)
Give Thanks.
As I write I am reminded (singing) of the lyrics to a song, Give Thanks, by Don Moen:
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, “I am strong”
Let the poor say, “I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us”
Embracing our life story includes a heart of gratitude. We have been equipped uniquely to walk in our purpose. Lessons learned from our life experiences are part of our tool kit.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes 5:18 (NLT)
The Time is Now
If you have been following this series, you may have realized you just can’t read and move on to other things. For some of you this is a call to action – to prayer – to letting go – to moving on to what God has planned for you. As I shared in the beginning, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” Take the time to embrace your story – it’s a gift you’ll be able to pass on to others.
Join the Conversation
Did you have an ah-ha moment when reading? Scroll down and share your thoughts in the Join the Conversation section. Include any questions you may have or suggestions for future articles.
Read next article in the Fall in Love Again series: Mind Your Own Normal – Fall in Love Again Part 4
Not sure where to begin? Schedule a coaching session to explore your options and put a plan in place.
Stay Connected – Join our Mailing List!
Don’t miss the rest of the Fall In Love Again Series. Click here to Join Our Mailing List!
Photo by N
Maggie Sabatier-Smith
Latest posts by Maggie Sabatier-Smith (see all)
- Dancing on the Edge of Truth – Don’t Settle - July 3, 2022
- How to Move Beyond a Broken Friendship… - February 4, 2022
- Cafecito – Where It All Began - June 20, 2021