Hypocrisy is a plague that hits us all at some point or another. One that we must strive to overcome. I know from writing in my journals and then reading them later that I am still not the woman that I want to be, but I have not lost hope because I am moving in that direction.
Something I'm learning, slowly, is that this life is a journey, it's a process. There will be days maybe even months or years that if we look back on we can say, "yeah, that's what I have been praying and striving to become." Then there are other times where we would really rather people not remember because we don't even want to remember them ourselves whether it be from sin in our lives or just simply difficult times. However the things of the past are just that. They are fact and unchangeable whether we look upon them with fondness and a sense of accomplishment or whether we look on them with twinges of regret or pain, they are what they are.
So what do we do with it?
I drive a lot during the summers going back and forth for my lawn business. Something I love about cars is the size of the windshield in comparison to the size of the rear and side view mirrors. It reminds me of life. As we move forward using today to build our futures our present is a lot like the windshield, and our past combined with others' wisdom is like the rear and side view mirrors. Have you ever leaned forward against the steering wheel so that the view from those mirrors is blocked? You essentially handicap yourself of knowing what is coming up behind you.
The thing I love about our past experiences and the past experiences of others is the wisdom that comes from it to help us with what is coming up ahead in our lives. It's not that the past is spotless and that there are no regrets or difficult moments. The times where sin was present leaves regrets. Paul understood better than many people the beauty of God's grace and yet if he could have gone back and taken back some of the things he had done in his early years, I'm betting he would have done it in a heartbeat. Since he couldn't however, he used even his weaknesses to help draw people closer to the kingdom of heaven.
Next time you're driving though think about your own life. When you lean forward so that you can no longer see what is behind you think about how much of an asset you are cutting out, and as you lean backward and can once again see those things and how being able to see what is coming up from behind allows you to make simple adjustments where trying to do it without it could be dangerous and harmful. Then think about your own life. How do the things from your past allow you to deal better with present situations? Can you use those things to help someone who is going through a similar situation?
If you will allow me just a little more of your time, I would also encourage you to think of these same things with America and its history. Think about the principles we were founded on. If you don't know the history, go back to the writings of the founders. I have learned more about the founders, their principles and their faith in God in this summer and last than I had going through school. It's incredible how building a nation upon God worked while taking God out of the nation or at least as far from the public eye as possible has proved to be disastrous. It's something to think about anyway.
"let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-" ~Proverbs 1:5 (NIV)
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