Embrace the skeletons!

Life is a dramatic thing, sometimes handing you things that seem to come out of nowhere, but in reality can have a great impact on your life. Reading Paul's words in Philippians 3:1-7 as well as his description of the former Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 6:11 got me thinking about my own path in life, following things of the world, but thanks to a couple of things, I was able to get my life back on track. I look back to those times as inspiration for the path ahead, drawing from my hope that God will forget my past and help me to move forward. Yet most of us look at them as taboo, not discussing them with other people because we think they will judge us. But why not bring to mind these darker times to remind us of the current happiness we have? Geno Auriemma, former head coach of the University of Connecticut basketball team, once said, "You don't really understand what winning is and appreciate what winning is until you've had your share of losing." We have all had our share of hard times, skeletons in the closet that we have since moved past; it is a given. But why act like they did not happen? Do not brag about them, but rather use them to help you greatly appreciate the great and wonderful gift that God has given you (Ephesians 2:11-13)!

Brady Cook