Delete It and Move On!

"Delete it and move on." Advice I was just given today. It was specifically in reference to a nasty email I received, but the conversation turned to how that can apply to so many things in life. It's God's specialty...and I'm so in awe of His ability to forgive us and move on. His unbelievable love has reached out to us so that His Spirit dwells in and fills our hearts with His love. Because of that, He empowers us to do the same...delete it and move on.

I wanted to explain to the person the specific reason I still had the email...that I wasn't just holding onto a grudge and my bitterness. But like the queen in Shakespeare's Hamlet, he probably would've thought, "The lady doth protest too much." And I thought to myself, I AM usually afraid to let go of the past. I could learn something here. Hmmm...Delete it and move on.

There is a fine line between holding grudges and setting boundaries, and I have crossed over it many times, I know. If you knew my entire marriage history, you might say I'm entitled. Trust that's been broken over and over, then rebuilt with cracks and even chunks missing. How does one continue to forgive? How do I take care of myself, set some boundaries, and keep my heart safe without holding a grudge? I can't! The rest of the world tells me it's okay, I certainly have the right to be angry, hateful, and even bitter. But you know what? The only thing I'm entitled to is an eternity in the pits of hell, forever alone. Because of Jesus, I don't have to face that. He died in my place, took my sin, and made it disappear. How can my gratitude not be overflowing into the rest of my life?

Honestly, it's all too easy. I can't remember where my keys are, but I can tell you in the fall of 1991 who did me wrong, how, and exactly how I felt at the time. I leave important papers behind, but I take my bad attitude with me wherever I go. I'm good at pointing fingers, forgetting there are three pointing back at me. And the most shameful is my forgetting my Lord and all He's done for me...and forgetting that Jesus died for that person, too. Delete it and move on.

Unconditional love. Healthy boundaries. Forgiveness. Trust. Vulnerability. Safety. My head spins with all the possibilities...with trying to find balance and peace. Will I ever find it? O Lord, I hope so. It would probably help to spend a lot more time focused on Him than on other people.

I think I also have a hard time with the "Delete it and move on" idea because it can sometimes lead to a lonely season. It means realizing that sometimes people come into our lives only for a season. It's time to say goodbye, but saying goodbye to old friends doesn't necessarily mean saying hello to new ones. At least not right away. And that can make one cling to the old with unhealthy tenacity.

It's time. I am so sad as I type this, but I need to take the mental step of moving on and praying for God to bring some new and amazing things into my life. I'm also going to start by going to my inbox to the email I mentioned earlier. Time to delete it and move on!