Pressing Onward
“The Lord’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22, 23 - Galatians 6:9-10
TOO MUCH NOSTALGIA!
Years ago, I saw a simple scenario at a restaurant that has had a memorable impact on my life.
Our group of students had just finished pulling two large rafts out of the Colorado River and had packed all our supplies for the long trip home.
We bronzed rafters decided to celebrate our return to reality by filling up in an all-you-can-eat-diner. (Real food again, at last!)
Once our meals were paid for and we began finding our seats, a pretty young lady of ours immediately tried to arrange certain people around a large table. As I watched, I noticed she was trying to place people in some precise order. Turning to a friend, I asked, “What’s Trudy up to? Why doesn’t she just sit down?” His response floored me.
“Oh,” he laughed, “she came on last year’s trip. It was the highlight of her year. We ate here last year, too, and that’s the same table she sat at. I think she’s trying to relive the memory by arranging the same people at the same table in the same seats.”
I couldn’t believe it. It was funny, yet pathetic.
NEW THINGS ARE BETTER
The desire to re-create memories is largely futile and somewhat on the selfish side; It’s “I want my emotions stirred again.”
Instead, it’s far better to seek God for His new creative plans and to ask to be His instrument of grace to others in every new now. With this goal, we make new memories of God’s goodness to others and to ourselves, rather than attempting to relive great memories of the past.
Understanding this can change how you view your birthday, holidays, and other significant events. Make it your goal in these times not to experience others’ attention or to create some special mood. Instead desire to live these days well for God and others—just like all other days. Every single day is monumentally important.
If, for example, this Christmas day is not as special as a previous one, that’s okay. Every day is precious. The weeks after Christmas can be very wonderful—even far better than any Christmas you ever had.
On your birthday, you will probably get lots of love and attention. Enjoy it. But on your day, make it others’ day. Set your focus on being God’s blessing to your family and others. Continually treasure being used by God to be a vessel of God’s help and blessing and comfort and encouragement.
LIVE NOW
Don’t get sucked into the trap of living in the past—or the future.
The past is like a dream, and the future is fantasy. “Now is all we really have.”
Paul was in prison, away from the people he loved. But he didn’t mope. He made the most of where he was. He prayed for those he loved who weren’t there and wrote letters to them. He also reached out to the prisoners and guards around him. His letters eventually helped those he loved and billions of other people, including you and me. And his love to those with him brought grace to them.
"Do not call to mind the former things or consider things of the past. Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth." - Isaiah 43:18-19
How Great It Is When We Continually Experience God’s New Things — Just Like Jesus Did!
Don Miller