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Dealing With Your Past: Part 5

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Dealing With Your Past: Part 5

Healing of Memories

by Bethany Allen

 

Begin with prayer (5 minutes) 

Gather together as a Community in a comfortable setting (around a table, on the couch, the floor of a living room, etc.). Have somebody lead a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your time together. 

 

Debrief last week’s practice in small groups (15-20 minutes)

If you are in a Community of seven or more, divide into small groups of 3–4 people each (ideally same gender).  

Spend a few minutes catching up on life… 

Then talk through the following debrief questions:

  1. Did you listen to the teaching? What did you think?

  2. Doing this practice, what were some patterns, scripts, traditions and values that you decided to start, stop and/or continue?

  3. How did doing this practice cultivate a spirit gratitude for your family and story?

 

Transition back to one large group (5 minutes)  

Ask a few questions about the last week’s Practice:

  1. Any stories from the last week’s Practice with which you would like to encourage the whole group?

  2. Any “aha” moments of breakthrough?

  3. Any highs or lows?

 

Read this overview 

We are finishing up the practice of Dealing With Your Past by reflecting on specific memories and confronting our emotions and interpretations. By shining light on what happened, we can ask Jesus what he says about it. In the words of C.S. Lewis, "A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on."

Work through this practice in Silence & Solitude. Then bring the memory to a trusted friend or counselor who is a follower of Jesus and allow them to confirm or correct your findings. 

Use the Genogram Workbook to complete this final week of the practice. Be sure to listen to the short teaching before completing this practice.

 

Open to the Bible together (10 minutes) 

As we conclude this practice take some time to read and meditate on the following scripture.

Have somebody read Psalm 103v1-5 

Talk about the following questions:

  1. As you read this Psalm, what line brings the greatest encouragement/comfort to you as you deal with your past?

  2. What do you think the Psalmist meant when he said “forget not all his benefits”?

  3. How does the promise of redemption in this Psalm give you hope as you look forward to the future?

 

Talk about the coming week’s Practice as a Community (10–30 minutes)

Here’s the Practice for the coming week: 

Pease note, we expect this exercise to take about 1-2 hours, and it may require you to connect with a family member or two.

 

Exercise 1: Memory

  • Pull out your genogram workbook from last week and turn to page 9. Settle into a comfortable, quiet place, and put away any other distractions.

  • Invite the Holy Spirit to bring a memory that needs healing to your mind. This could be a memory you think of often and haven’t been able to shake, or it may be something you haven’t thought of in years.

  • After the memory comes, write down in a journal or on a piece of payer.

 

Exercise 2: Emotion

  • Next, write down the emotions that surrounded and are connected that memory (or the event in the memory).

    • Remember, no emotion (positive or negative) is insignificant.

  • If you’re having a hard time identifying the emotions, ask the Holy Spirit to help you and to reveal the emotions you felt and feel around the memory.

    • This could include emotions like, fear, jealously, loneliness, etc.

 

Exercise 3: Interpretation

  • Finally, write down your interpretation of that memory. What script did you hear, carry forward or believe about yourself based on that specific experience.

    • This will include, things like how the memory impacted what you believe about who you are, who God is, what is true or not true, how it has impacted how you have been living, etc…

  • Again, don't be afraid to wait on the Holy Spirit, and to ask him to help you acknowledge what you have believed.

 

Exercise 4: Truth

  • Now, ask the Holy Spirit if your interpretation is true. If it’s not, then ask him to tell you what is true.

  • Write down the truth the Holy Spirit reveals.

  • Finally, share what you have experienced.

    • Connect with a Jesus-follower that you trust and feel safe with, then share the memory, emotion and interpretation with.

    • Let them speak into and help you interpret what’s true.

  • Finally, take a few minutes to pray and thank the Holy Spirit for his help and healing.

    • Repeat this practice as the Holy Spirit brings memory to mind.