Dealing with your past is not wallowing in self-pity. Self-pity is the result of not dealing with your past. When you finally allow yourself to feel and then bring the truth and comfort needed for the child, we actually heal and move forward. Not going back keeps you stuck.

You’ve heard the saying, “Time heals all wounds.” Maybe we believed this in the past. But the truth is, time does nothing to heal the wounds we’ve experienced. Instead, time does a great job of covering over old wounds with accumulated years of guilt and shame.

People often think it’s better to leave painful memories where they are rather than getting them out in the open. “Let sleeping dogs lie,” the old saying goes. But eventually, something is going to “kick that dog,” and the painful memory will spring back to life.

If it’s really true that our hurts and wounds simply fade away after a certain amount of time has passed, then why are so many people still hurting years, indeed decades, after painful events occurred?  And why are so many people seeking treatment for depression? Time will heal a scraped knee, but not a painful memory.

If you find yourself living feeling stuck at times, it’s a sign that something from your past may still be troubling you. But you don’t have to stay there! Thank God that He is allowing you to see your need for Him to work in some area of your past. Allow yourself to honestly feel what you need to feel while accepting the truth and comfort you need so you can move forward. God never intended for you to remain stuck!