Forgetting Former Things
As we close out a calendar year, it is natural to reflect on the events that have come to pass. Scrolling through our photos (we have yet to print) we analyze and measure the success of this trip around the sun. We make social media reels showcasing milestones, road trips, emergency room visits, endured grief, and the triumphs of our children in their respective fields of action.
Mostly, we need to know- have I become something more? Did I waste this year chasing things, people, and dreams not meant for me, or did I finally reach the hem of my healing?
The Lord’s instructions for Israel serve as a compass for my energy expenditures; a guide for my vision as lay flowers at the feet of 2025 and swing wide the hinges of 2026.
“Do not remember the former things of old.
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19
To grasp the new thing, you must first release the old stuff. God has given me many opportunities to practice forgetting the former things in the last few years. In 2023, I wrote something to help me release what doesn’t belong to me anymore. I don’t know what it is. I think it is equal parts prayer, mantra, and declaration. Now, it is an offering.
From my heart to yours-
My spirit belongs to the wilderness. Not everyone can journey here with me. Some connections are meant to be temporary. Forward does not look the same for everyone.
Today I release [enter a name, situation, or source of hurt] you from my life.
I reclaim the mental, emotional, and spiritual energy I poured freely into you.
Today I release you and set myself free from instability created by misaligned vibrations and unreciprocated energies.
Today I claim my healing. I erect boundaries that honor my well-being, glorify my Creator, and repel the negativity of people, situations and environments that cannot receive me.
As I let the old things go, I am open to the endless potential hidden in my palm
Amen