Turn those negative thoughts and past experiences over to God 503s - 9 - 4

Liz, a family friend was caring for my dog Phoebe In 2007 while I was recovering from knee replacement surgery. I was barely out from under the joy juice that the anesthesiologist had given me along with a spinal block when a family friend, Ed, gleefully gave me bad news. Ed said my Phoebe had destroyed a $300 screen door. It goes without saying I was very upset and called my friend Liz and offered to pay for any and all damage done by my fur baby. “What damage” she asked? It turned out it was a minor repair and that she and her gardener had already completed it. Further I was not to worry because Phoebe was behaving herself and having a good time. Not only had Ed blown a simple incidence way out of proportion, he did when I was helpless to really do anything about it.  

I still cut my time in rehab by a week so my dog could come home. The first night home when I had to get my own ice pack I had less that kind thoughts concerning Ed. And the next morning as I fixed my breakfast rather than having it brought to me in rehab… seems almost humorous now.

In all the many years that I knew Ed he was a constant thorn in my side and this was just one example. Sharing the above still brings a twinge of annoyance. Now a twinge only.  Ed has been gone for several years so thorn in my side or not, I hope Ed came to faith while he still had the time.

I've often said that we can only really control two things in our lives, our thoughts and who we choose to hang with. Add to that we can pick our friends but we can’t pick our family. Family dynamics are interesting and often the most hurtful.

God wants us to give our negative thoughts and past experiences over to His healing power rather than reinforcing then by reliving them again and again. Negativity feeds on itself. As for pain caused by family, Psalm 69 provides insight to the suffering of our Savior growing up as he was rejection by His brothers and sisters. Rather puts it into proper prospective.

Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”