Do you wish for a chance to begin again? Ancient Babylonians started the time-held tradition of New Year’s resolutions over 4000 years ago. For more information, see https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions. Over time, the tradition has changed. Today’s idea behind making a New Year’s resolution is the opportunity to erase the past and start over with new and improved methods. But is it as simple as just choosing something you wish to do differently and start doing it?
Most people charge forward, proclaiming a specific resolution, but within a few short weeks, they give up and return to their old ways. So, how does someone stick to their resolutions and effectively begin again?
Starting Over
I love to quilt. I enjoy its creative outlet as I look at a pattern and then deviate from it, making it my own unique creation. A nice part about quilting is it provides a feasible solution when I make a mistake. I only need to rip out the offending seams and redo that section. It may get time-consuming and frustrating, but it is a feasible alternative to making the perfect creation as my final project.
Oh, how I sometimes wish life was that simple. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if every time we make a mistake in life, all we need to do is rip out the stitches of time and start over? But most things aren’t that clear-cut. Instead, life sentences us to live with our mistakes and carry on from there.
Learning Through Experiences
Our Church congregation practices the tradition of Social Hour following our worship services. Those who can, provide luscious edibles to share during this time of fellowship. Some months back, I baked a chocolate bundt cake for the following Sunday morning. In my excitement, I forgot to prep the bundt pan. When I reverted my finished product, the cake did not slide smoothly out of the pan. Instead, portions of the baked batter clung fast to the inside of the pan. My ending result was a pile of malformed cake chunks.
This situation provided me with a straightforward, clear-cut method to begin again. I put those broken-up chunks in the freezer to enjoy in the privacy of our home some other day. I whipped up a second batch of cake batter and, learning from my mistake the first time, poured it into a prepped bundt cake pan. This second cake came out perfectly. The gift of this lesson is that I clearly see the necessity of prepping a cake pan and will never again neglect that crucial step.
Not all opportunities to start over are so simple. Five separate times during my childhood, my parents packed up our household and moved my sister and me to a different part of the country. Every move was painful and traumatic for me. It didn’t help that my parents had the habit of relocating us during the middle of the school year.
Each move gave me and my family a fresh opportunity to begin again; however, the baggage of our dysfunctional family, which came along with us, provided vast obstacles that got in the way of an improved new beginning from the past we had escaped.
Without taking the time and doing the work to learn from the lessons of your past, those events you wish to escape from will repeat itself. You will miss out on your new beginning.
Lessons from the Past
In 2012, I experienced a huge opportunity to start over when I escaped my then-abusive husband and relocated to a shelter for abused women. To read more about that experience, see https://crystalmmhuntley.com/2024/12/blessing-or-tragedy/. While there, I discovered that most of its residents have “shelter hopped” countless times. They seek refuge from their abusers, but without learning a better way of life, return either to that same abuser or someone similar for a season until things again become unbearable, then run off again to the safety of a shelter.
Yet, those who “shelter hop” aren’t the only people who engage in this behavior. Most people spend their lifetime repeating a similar pattern, never learning a more effective and healthier way of existence.
When I ripped out the unwanted seams of my quilt, I then didn’t sew it back in the same original way. Instead, I took the time to discover what I had done wrong so I could learn from it, and then, with that new knowledge, I resewed that section, resulting in a much-improved final project. Similar to my bundt cake. Should I have mixed up a new batch of batter and rebaked it in a pan without prepping it, the same as I did the first time, this second cake would again stick to the sides of the pan like the first one had, coming out in chunks instead of one beautiful piece.
If Only’s
“If only I knew then what I know now.” Chances are, you’ve uttered that phrase from time to time. I know I have. Far more often than I wish to admit. We can’t go back in time and relive past moments, but life always blesses us with many opportunities to begin again. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CEB) reminds us of that fact. “If anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!”
To see more Crystalisms, go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/1360983917796761.
Repents Origin
The word “repent” originated from a Roman military term that means to “turn around.” The ancient military used to describe a soldier doing a 180º about turn, also known as an about-face, when marching in the wrong direction. Repentance sets us on a pathway to start over. Repentance gives us a chance to begin again. Without acknowledging my quilting and baking mistakes, a crucial step in repenting, I could not have learned and moved forward, thus producing better results.
Our past is a great teacher for our future. To ensure a better future, you must take advantage of the lessons the past teaches you and be willing to learn a new and more effective way as you move forward, creating your future.
What lesson can you take from your past to help you learn so your future days shine brighter? Learning from your past is a simplified version of repentance. Acknowledging your mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward can only be done if you accept God’s gift of forgiveness graciously given to us all. 1 John 1:9 explains this concept. “But if we own up to our sins, God shows that He is faithful and just by forgiving us of our sins and purifying us from the pollution of all the bad things we have done.” (VOICE).
Note to My Readers
I hope you join me next time for my post about discovering the value of rest.
Hopefully, you have gained value from this blog post. If you have, I would like to offer you the opportunity to purchase my books. You can purchase The Hidden Diamond and Robin’s Gift here at BUY THE BOOK – Crystal MM Huntley.
An additional site where you can find my books is https://bkbookshoppe.com. However, if you prefer to purchase from Amazon, you will find The Hidden Diamond at http://www.amazon.com/The-Hidden-Diamond-Crystal-MM-Huntley/dp/1665573767 and Robin’s Gift at https://www.amazon.com/Robins-Gift-Crystal-MM-Huntley/dp/B0CVL7746N.
Each purchase of my books supports my mission to break the chains of abuse. Once you have read either of my books, feel free to leave a review on the site you purchased from. Your review will encourage others also to seek out the path of healing.
Alexandra All souls are priceless no matter their past. A personal reason to testify. Assure myself with a pep talk. Boundaries Breaking Out Breathe into the space of peace. Complex CPTSD Continue to write for God. Difficult people can become a catalyst for growth. Discover My Newest Post Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Forgiveness Free Giveaway From Robin’s Gift God chooses. Grace Enters Hope How I got out of the wheelchair. Installing Healthy Boundaries Invite Keep up the good work. Master New Skills My Mission My Story No meaningful journey exists without pitfalls. Note To My Readers Resources Robin’s Gift Robin’s Gift – A Sneak Peak Share my healing journey. Taboo topics have infiltrated people. Take the Challenge Thank you. The Behind Story The Hidden Diamond Transcend into healthy boundaries. Upcoming Posts We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know. Why I Write Writing Is My Passion Writing Mirrors Life You Are Worthy! Your Gain “When I am weak then I am strong.”
