It is remarkably easy to forget the good and remember the bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have often found that I block out bad memories. I can\u2019t tell if it is intentional or not, but when I think back to an experience I had, whether it was travelling or a conference or something else, sometimes I will re-surprise myself with some of the craziness or more unpleasant memories, and it\u2019s like I am realizing this happened for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I dislike dwelling on negative memories. Sometimes I will get stuck there, or sometimes things happen that require going back to something painful to resolve it, but more often I will just…block it out. Not think about it. I find it embitters the whole experience if I do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think this is something the human mind does with traumatic experiences. I\u2019ve even heard that women\u2019s brains block the full memory of what giving birth is like, perhaps because otherwise most women would not want to go through that experience again. It\u2019s like there is this hidden feature to keep us remembering the beauty and joy and what made the experience worth it, to keep the human population alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes \u201cbad things\u201d are like vinegar in a jug of milk. A little bit, and it doesn\u2019t mess things up too bad – it just makes buttermilk (or at least a substitute). But too much? You get curdled milk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it healthy to forget all the bad things? I\u2019m not sure. But I do know it\u2019s not healthy to dwell completely on them. So the challenge of this, as with 95% of things, is to walk the fine line, the tightrope, if you will, without falling into a ditch on either side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So the mini-challenge for this week is to think back to a bad experience. Was there anything good or redeeming about that experience you had forgotten about? Then think of an experience that feels good on the surface, but you just know there is a bunch of stuff to be dealt with under the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are there people and relationships that were messed up? Take some time in prayer to try to figure out what the root is, and then try to fix it. It will be worth the effort.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It is remarkably easy to forget the good and remember the bad…<\/p>\n