Telling Your HiSTORY

These children do not have ideal pasts.

Psalm 105:1-45

Reference: v.17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: During a foster care training session we were encouraged to build a history book with the children. Gathering photos and stories from their past was seen to be an essential process for the children to go through to deal with their situation and create their own identity.

These children do not have ideal pasts. It was hard for me to get my head around the idea of highlighting some of the pain and grief that they had experienced.

However, it is a part of them, and to sweep it under the carpet only confirms the negative thinking that they should be ashamed of themselves and the families they have come from.

The books that have been created by foster children tell an important story and validate that the child has a history to tell.

Application: Our past is not always pretty.

Even as the Psalmist highlights the past of the Israelites.  In Psalm 105 we see that their history is not always perfect. However, our past forms and moulds us to be the people that we choose to be today.

It is important that we don’t allow our past to dictate who we are, but more an important element of our story that helps us to grow and mature.

Prayer: Lord, as hard as it can be for some, we acknowledge our past… ALL of it. May we learn to grow from our experiences and make positive choices to create a positive future. Amen.

What is something challenging, but important to acknowledge from your past?

future, history, learning, maturity, past, Psalm, story