Imprints on the Soul

Considering the vast, human emotional map, that makes up the content of our souls, we know there are deep-seated beliefs, and values, stored in our brains, that influence our lives in a significant way. Imprints on the soul, especially in the younger years, have an entrenched root system. An imprint is an impression or a signature. The only authorized definition of who we truly are is based on what God declares and inscribes upon us.  He desires that we be rooted and grounded in His love and truth. The competition would be those other “instructors” that we unknowingly subjected our hearts to, leaving dark imprints upon our souls. I have researched this topic over the years via counselor training courses and a stack of books on inner healing. Then, a few months ago, I was watching a documentary on the Roman Empire…

History Lessons

Many of you know that I love history. My goal in wanting to study a bit of Roman history, was in wanting to understand the kind of culture and system of life, that the man Christ Jesus experienced when he walked the earth. Hence, I browsed on Prime and found Rome: The World’s First Superpower. Only four episodes, 44 minutes each, filmed on location and very well done. The last episode was about Julius Ceasar and included his siege of Alesia, a town in Gaul (France).

Infrared Imaging

So, to the place in the documentary where God whispered to my heart… In describing the siege laid against the city of Alesia, it is noted that Julius Ceasar erected two lines of ramparts around the city. One was directed towards Alesia, while the other was built facing outward, to ward off the would-be rescuers coming to the city’s aid. Good strategy: take ground, while protecting the ground you’ve gained. Photos below: what the ramparts may have looked like + the outline of the vast 11 mile perimeter around Alesia, consisting of 2 lines of ramparts.

And finally, the infrared imaging, that illuminated to me the importance of imprinting…

The documentary host was taken up in a plane to fly over Alesia, the site of that ancient battle. Photographs were taken and then the infrared technology was applied and studied. The contrast is what we see in the natural (green photo) and what we see after the special technology is applied (blue photo). There they are! The black lines are the imprints of where the ramparts were erected. The impressions are still there!

Archaeological Dig

Just to clarify, it’s not healthy to live on top of a “dig”, trying to figure out what’s below the surface of your life that needs to be dug up, on a daily basis! However, what’s been built in times past cannot be completely ignored. Imprints on the soul do not expire; they need to be overwritten. I’ve experienced a quick turnaround at times, in this process, and I’ve also experienced the more time consuming work that is required on deeply entrenched imprints. I’ve also encountered the “smoke and mirrors” of the enemy, where there really wasn’t a deep, dark anything to find, just the necessity of surface combat on my part. In other words, stop looking for the miracle surgery and just apply the principles you’ve learned. “Make it so.”

By the way, this may remind you of Star Trek – The Next Generation, a saying oft heard from Captain Picard. It’s been around much longer however, going back to the British Navy of the 1800’s. “Make it so” means, it is time for an action to occur, that requires the senior officer present to issue the order. The senior officer of your life is YOU. Just saying. Yes, God is the Head but His directives require human implementation.

Staying Focused

A couple of days ago I was having a video chat with a good friend, telling him about some of the emotional duress I was under of late. Having no particular circumstance to blame it on, I was just feeling lost and displaced, having no purpose in life. Sounds so silly as I type this, but it’s no joke when the emotions are dominating, right? After listening for a while, he flat out told me I sounded “bored.”  I told him that sounded pretty accurate. So I went back to read some of my own advice; a blog from a couple of years ago on spiritual boredom.

Getting back to the Roman Empire, the ramparts built by Caesar are not affecting the lives of those living in the town of Alesia today. But if any place on my emotional map contains “live imprints” that still have a negative influence in my life, whether from my childhood or from last week, I want to have God’s view on the matter. More next post, on my recent adventure and the new imprint (signature) that God left upon my life.