Healing the Heart and Moving Forward.

 Failures, disappointments, wounds of heart, thorns of losses....Past sorrows are many.

You may not be able to completely erase past sorrows, but you can reach a point where they no longer control your heart. Healing usually comes gradually.

 Ways to let go of past sorrows.

1. Accept what happened. Don't keep fighting the past in your mind. Tell yourself, “It happened, but it does not have to define my future.”

2. Give your pain to God Instead of repeatedly carrying the sorrow yourself, bring it to God in prayer.

   “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee.” - Psalm 55:22

3. Stop replaying the past when painful memories come, don't follow every thought. Gently redirect your mind toward what you can do today.

4. Forgive where necessary. Forgiveness does not mean saying that what happened was right. It means refusing to let another person's actions continue to occupy your heart.

5. Focus on God's new work in your life Isaiah 43:18-19 says:

   “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.”

6. Be thankful for small things Each day, consciously notice three things you can thank God for. Gratitude slowly changes the direction of our thoughts.

7. Don't force yourself to forget Sometimes trying desperately not to remember actually keeps the memory alive. Instead, acknowledge it and say, “Lord, I give this memory to You.”

 A short prayer.

“Lord, You know the sorrows I have carried for so long. Help me release the pain of the past into Your hands. Heal my heart, give me peace, and help me look forward without fear. Let the past teach me, but not control me. Give me strength to embrace the new things You are doing in my life. Amen.”

A beautiful verse to hold onto:

“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” - Psalm 147:3

You don't have to forget everything to move forward. You can remember without hurting as deeply, because God can heal what the past wounded.