Do past mistakes cause you problems today? Have you ever considered that God can use your past for His good?

How is it that mistakes from our past can still cause problems today? 

A few years ago I found myself in a tough spot. Not only were the negative memories from my past bothering me; but they were making me feel stuck and unable to move on. 

I made a lot of mistakes in my early 20s. Mistakes that I desperately wish I could go back and undo. Not being able to fix my past made it hard to accept God’s forgiveness. Do you know what finally helped me?  Coming to the realization that while it was impossible to change my past, I could let God use it for good. 

Telling my story to young girls in hopes of helping them to avoid the same mistakes I’d made, helped me to finally accept God’s forgiveness and move on.