Learn from the past. Don't live in it.

"You gotta put your behind in your past." -Pumba

     You're not alone. You've got some baggage. You've got some hurts. You've got some regrets. Everyone does, and yet we still find ourselves constantly beaten up by our past and cloudy on our future. It's times like this that I remember the words of one of our greatest philosophers:

     My most recent dealing with my past comes thanks to my grandmother. I have often said I'd like to know more of my family history. My mother had me at 16, and I never really knew my biological father. As a result, I have half a family tree and even the details on the half I know are pretty sketchy.

     So my grandmother recently sent me three newspapers that ran a series on my great-great-grandfather, Harvey McCoy.What was Harvey's claim to fame, you may ask?

Inventor of the toothbrush? (No)
First mayor of his small town? (Not even)
Was he a party planner? (You're getting warmer)

Actually, ol' gramps was a moonshiner. He realized that corn sold for feed wasn't nearly as valuable as corn that was turned into illegal liquor. And yes, our family is also related to THE McCoy's. So there's that.

I suppose I hoped that knowing where I came from would add some sort of value to my life or give me some heritage to hold onto. And while my mom says that Harvey, in spite of a short time in the clink, was a devoted family man, that's just not a satisfying answer.

     We all have a history. Whether it's a criminal family member or your own sins, it can feel like a weight on your shoulders. But I'm here to tell you that it's not about your past, it's about your future.

"For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12"

     Jesus didn't die for us to sit and mourn the failures of yesterday. He died in His perfection to cover our imperfections and to obliterate our past while giving us a "hope and a future". So seek God above all else and live in the now!