a dangerous past...

take it easy..i'm not talking about horrible, tragic and ill-fated events from the past..i'm talking about those great moments that happened in the past..those glorious days in which you've felt so comfortable..just reminiscing through those memories makes you want to go back to that past...

i have this friend of mine who always recall her childhood days..her family used to be rich: pleasure, luxury, comfort, everything a family could wish for, you name it..everytime those memories come flashing through her mind, i see a smile in her face, at least for a while...one day i asked her, "you really miss your old days, don't you.." she answered with a nod and a smile in her pretty lips and said, "yeah, i do.."

I also have this “sort of an organization” where in all the members know each other well, they grew up together since their childhood days.. I must admit, I became a member way too late compared to all of them. In fact, they never knew me until I entered this “organization”. But I can tell that they have a lot of beautiful memories to recall. One night we had meeting about a certain problem we’re having. As I addressed the issue, I tried to boldly point out the real cause of it. All of them were just listening, confident or hurting.. I said to myself, I must have released a pretty awful stuff with my words. Maybe the timing wasn’t right. Then suddenly, one of the leaders stood up. He said we were not like this before. He tried to encourage the team by letting them remember the things they did before: the happy days. All of a sudden the mood of the room changed, filled with laughter and joy. The hurt faded. The beautiful past took over. The problem was forgotten. The real issue was somewhere behind the smiles. But the truth was denied: a denial that would lead to despair. The sickness wasn’t healed. The remedy was not taken.

Folks, what I am trying to point out is this.. A good past cannot mend a broken present.. A good tree cannot bring back the original taste of a rotten apple.. I was quite disappointed that night of the meeting. I mean, I really appreciate what that leader did. It seemed to ease the situation. But it’s not the remedy to the problem.. just a first aid for a fractured elbow.. too shallow to reach the depth of the twist.. too vague to see the object of the shadow..

This message will not give you the real remedy of a broken present, but it may lead you to open your heart and mind. To open your eyes and see the real deal. Recalling your good past cannot mend your bad situation at present. Like I said to that friend of mine, your family’s present situation is different from before. Face the truth. Good memories are meant to be treasured and remembered, but not to hide the wounded palm under your shirt. Search from the inside out. Look beyond what you see and find the real problem. You may not be thoroughly equipped to face it, but at least the problem is defined. The truth may be painful, but at least you know what’s hurting you. The sickness may not be healed right away, but at least you know what to tell to your doctor.

In Matthew 23:25-26, Jesus Christ scolded the Pharisees and teachers of the law. But this time, I’ll use Jesus’ words into an advice. Don’t just clean the outside of the cup and dish, when inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Don’t be blind. First, clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Folks, I am one of you. I must confess that I also have those hidden hurts in my heart and inner diseases of my soul. I encourage you to start from the inside out. Let the Lord consume you form the inside out. Let Him search the deepest and darkest chambers of your soul. Let’s not pretend to be okay, when we’re not. Let’s not pretend to feel good, when the heart is aching. Let’s not deny the real cause of our hurt by recalling our beautiful past, it won’t work. I’ve done it myself. And failed. I call it, my false pretense. Let’s not try living our days by bringing the past back. Let’s not try to heal our pain by deceiving joy. Hope is available, and it’s available now.

For a more vital dealing with this kind of issue, I encourage you to read the book Inside Out by Dr. Larry Crabb, available at Christian bookstores.