Reclaim Your Life by Reframing Your Life

This post is a rant/plea that comes on the heels of my speaking at the treatment center today.  I'm taking a break in my series on God's forgiveness to simply share my heart. My hope is to inspire you to reclaim your life.I was talking to my group today about some practical steps they could take to forgive their offenders and reclaim their lives; things like: set boundaries for your life, get a good support system, etc.  As I spoke it struck me how these aren't just "helpful tips".  These could be the difference between life and death.

Some Give Up

I flashed back to a funeral I did two weeks ago for a young client who ended their life. They had been in treatment earlier this year but found recovery too hard and opted out. I spoke to some of the friends at the funeral who were also in recovery. I  asked them to not grow weary in their journey. They could reclaim their life with God's help.As I spoke this morning, I stopped and reminded the group about this and how much I want them to succeed. I don't just teach a class and go home. I love these people. Many of them are in treatment for a few months and start attending my church. I get to know them.  I want them to know that they can reclaim their life. It's not impossible.

Reclaim Your Life by Reframing Your Life

I just wish they could see what I see in them. I don't know anything about their history other than they have an addiction. I wasn't there when they overdosed or spent time in jail or woke up in bed with a stranger or got fired from their job, or lost custody of their kids, etc.  None of those images cloud my view of them.I see who they are TODAY and who they CAN be tomorrow.  I see them at their best. I see a room full of possibilities. But I'm afraid when they look in the mirror they see a history of defeat.

See What God Sees

I mention this because I think God sees us more like I see these people. He chooses to not remember our past. He forgives our past and invests in our present so we can reclaim our future.  If I am full of compassion and want only the best for people...how much more does God feel these things?I encounter so many people every week whose life gets very narrow. They stop seeing the possibilities and live in dread of the worst case scenario. If we could only see in ourselves what God sees in us. We have to stop looking at our future through the lens of our past.I wonder about you today. I hope you are in a good place emotionally and spiritually. But if you are not I want to speak a word of encouragement to you. You can reclaim your life. I don't care what happened yesterday or today...how much ground you think you lost. You can get it back and more.Question: What makes you feel like giving up? Leave your comment below or, for confidentiality, reply to me directly at remydiederich@yahoo.com.Note: When you subscribe to this blog I will send you the free e-book, "Forgiven...Once and For All".