Facing Forward

I love the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s one of my favorite times to journal, so while the family lingers in the living room, enjoying their Christmas gifts, I settle in with my journal and enjoy the family as I reflect and write. The other day I was reminded of one reason why it’s so important for me to not just reflect back, but to look forward and plan ahead too.

I had just pulled out of my driveway when a little truck barreled down the road toward me. Now, you have to understand, the road I live on is narrow.

Very narrow, with soft shoulders.

So, I pulled over as far as I dared and kept moving, albeit slowly, just in case I started to sink or get stuck. The little truck whizzed past me and like a silly goose I watched him go by in my side mirror. And almost ended up in the ditch on the opposite side of the road. (Which would NOT have been pretty nor fun, as you can see from the garbage truck that landed in one of our ditches last fall.)

You’d think that after all the times I’ve done that same stunt that I’d learn to quit looking back, but nooooo. I just keep doing it.

When I was pregnant with my oldest, we went on a wilderness canoe trip in the wilds of Canada. We packed everything we needed for the week on our backs and were out of contact with the rest of the world. It was a life changing trip, and it was also the first time I realized my propensity to watch life go by in my side mirrors rather than keeping my eyes on what was coming up ahead of me. So when I caught myself watching that little truck go by in my side mirror I immediately thought of the lesson I learned all those years ago.

All too often I’m so focused on my screw-up, my problem, my whatever, that I end up running smack into the next thing coming at me because I was looking backward instead of forward.

Our lives don’t end when we screw things up. Paul said it well in Philippians 3:13-14,

But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (NAS)

Once the difficulty is past us, we need to hold on to what we’ve learned from it but let go of the rest, face forward again and press on. New Year’s is a good time to do exactly that. Just like I almost went in the ditch because I was looking back at the little truck, if we’re looking backward in life we can slam into another difficulty we could have otherwise missed.

It’s time to face forward so we can see what’s coming. Forget what’s behind you, reach forward, and press on. If we don’t, we’ll end up buried in a ditch and possibly miss out on part of the journey God has for us this year.

Patty Wysong

Patty Wysong, a home executive with over 20 years of experience, homeschools two of her five children, but don't let that fool you. She spends much of her time working on what God has placed in her hand: her keyboard. From the corner of her living room she writes inspirational fiction, devotionals, blog posts, and teaches online blogging workshops. You'll also find her drinking kool aid from her china cup, preparing for the ladies Bible study she leads, and helping at their church. Through her writing, Patty has found the extraordinary God in her ordinary life.

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