Never give up on yourself

Once, there was a story I heard about three childhood friends. Seasons came and went. And since they hadn’t seen each other in a while, they decided to get together one weekend afternoon to go hiking. But strangely enough, each of the three women was carrying two knapsacks. One knapsack was on their front. And the other knapsack was held on their backs.

As the friends trudged up the hiking trail, the landscape was breathtaking. Looking up, the clouds moved slowly toward the horizon. Birds flew by them, chirping and singing. There were pine, birch and maple trees of all sizes. And many tree branches touched one another as they leaned from one side of the pathway to the other.

After an hour, a person walking by the three women curiously questioned them. “Why are you carrying two knapsacks each?” And… “What is in them?” the passerby asked.

Quite matter-of-factly, the first woman smiled at the passerby and answered, “I carry the good things that have happened to me on my back.” Then, sadness passed over her face. “But the front knapsack contains all my negative experiences,” she said, as her eyes began to well up with tears.

Over the next few minutes, the first woman explained to the passerby how she would stop frequently and open the front knapsack. She would look at it, and next she would relive all those bad experiences; the unfair situations, the negative words others had spoken over her, the failures and disappointments of the past. She sobbed and sobbed.

The passerby shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what to say. Moreover, because the first woman stopped so often to think about all the adverse things that had transpired and constantly talked about and focused on the negative, she felt badly about herself. She squeezed her eyes shut, for she didn’t have much joy, nor did she make progress in her daily life.

Without delay, the second woman walked over to the passerby, chimed in and gave the opposite response. “I carry in the front knapsack all good things,” she stated. Moments passed, and then the second woman looked down with a trace of despair in her eyes, uttering, “Yet, the knapsack on my back contains all of my guilt, fears, the regrets and mistakes, and unfortunately, I never put the knapsack down. It’s heavy. It is a burden. And day by day, I just continue to carry it.”

The third friend was listening intently to the conversations. She described to the passerby, “The knapsack that I carry on the front has within it all of my blessings. It contains positive thoughts and words. It has my good qualities, my achievements and successes. And the kind deeds that I have done for people and what others have done for me. Also, it holds my hopes and dreams for the future.”

As they interacted, the passerby’s face lit up. “So what’s in the back knapsack?” the passerby asked. Smiling with a contagious grin, the third woman said, “There is nothing in the backpack I carry on my back.” Interested, the passerby inquired, “Why is that knapsack empty?

Confidently and positively beaming with delight, the third woman replied, “I cut a hole in the bottom of the knapsack. That way, all of the negativity is released. I let it all go. So there’s nothing to hold me back from progressing on in life, and there is no extra weight to carry.”

I wonder, as we each journey through life, what are we carrying in our knapsacks?

You may feel you’re as low as you can go. Overcome with pressures and fears, your heart may have become hardened. Or, feeling waves of anxiety, your current circumstance can be overwhelming you.

But let me encourage you that God wants to bring total restoration. For God sees what you’re going through, and He will help you. You’re going to be set free from old problems and the things that have hurt you for years. God holds your future in His Hands. He created you to be an overcomer. “You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you.” (Romans 8:37). And if…“God is for you, who can be against you?” (Romans 8:31).

So find rest for your soul. This is a new beginning for you. Like the third woman, it is time to release the weight of the anxiety, the fears and burdens you have been carrying for so long. Decide today to release the things that are bringing you down. Leave the sack of regrets behind. Don’t always be down on yourself. Do not let one mistake you made cancel out all good things you’ve done. Forgive yourself. You’re a miracle; a masterpiece. God loves you. Get off the treadmill of guilt. Take off the unnecessary weight of worry. And unload the bag of ‘what didn’t work out.’

Rather, all through the day, continually focus on all of your blessings and thank God for the great things He is going to soon bring into your future. Think about your good qualities and the great things you’ve done for others. Give gratitude to God. Ponder upon all the positive aspects of your life. And turn the unfair matters over to God. He is the restorer of broken dreams, and He will graciously right the wrongs and bless you in new and extraordinary ways. Believe God can do it.

The more you turn your heart and mind in a positive direction and on the good things for which you aspire, the right opportunities, people and circumstances will be produced and unfold before you.

At home, in our powder room, we have a hand held makeup mirror. Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. Similarly, your breakthrough is closer than you realize. Don’t stop now. The complete healing is closer than it seems to be. You’re on your way back to being better than ever.

So keep the faith. Give. Serve. Pray. And look ahead to the many miracles that await. Therefore, never, ever give up on yourself or on the wonderful future that God has for you.