Looking Back to Move Forward

Today, my dear friend Noel hosted a blog link-up event- which is a bit technical for me (I'm kind of an internet idiot compared to many of my blogging friends) - that gave me the opportunity to look back at some of my old posts.  In reading through some of my old posts, I can clearly see how much has changed since 7 years ago when I started my blog.  I used to be so focused on the past.  I clung to it, like a toddler to a blankie, finding comfort in playing the victim.  That's not to say that I was never a victim, because there have been times that I have experienced some less than pleasant things.  But when I first started blogging, those less than pleasant things were my identity.  They were all I talked about.  I could not imagine the future because I was so focused on past hurts and heart aches.  I pretended that they didn't matter, and yet I dredged them up over and over again because I didn't know who I was without them.
Today, I know that I a much different person.  A lot has changed in the seven years I have been blogging.  I have loved and lost and learned to love again.  I have said some difficult goodbyes.  I have learned the value of caring for myself so that I can better care for others.  I have gained weight and lost weight.  I have found new hobbies and passions, but my passion for writing remains.  I have taken chances and even when things have turned out differently than I would have liked, I have learned from the experience.  So much has changed, but more than anything else, my identity has changed.  I no longer see myself as a victim.  I have found confidence in my faith - the faith that has carried me through all of the difficult things that I have blogged about over the past seven years.   I am a fighter, and I fight with confidence because God has promised victory.  Even if that victory does not look the way I expect it to, I will be victorious in Him.  I am far from perfect, and I still slip up and let the victim mentality take over every once in a while, but reading my old posts, I can also see how far I've come. 
Some people would say that the past is the past and we shouldn't dwell on it, and I absolutely agree with the second part.  We definitely should avoid dwelling on the past - however remembering and reflecting on the past can be a beautiful thing, because looking back to see how far we've come may be just the motivation we need to continue moving forward.  I know I still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but when I look back and see where I started and how far I've come, I have the confidence I need to finish the race.