We didn’t sign up for planet earth.
We’re here, whether by chance or by design, you choose what you
believe. But what our lives hold is up to us.
I’ve been thinking a lot about looking back. About regret.
About reputation. About right vs.
wrong. You know what I’ve
concluded? We cannot look back. We don’t have time to dwell on the past
unless it’s to learn from it and move on.
We cannot care what people think because the only One whose opinion
matters is God. And while I believe in
absolute truth, I also believe that God leads us to different callings at
different times in our lives. What is
right for one person now is wrong for another person. What was right for you several years ago may be
wrong for you now, since a natural part of being human should be growing and
changing more fully into who we were created to be.
One finger at a time, I am learning to unfold my fists from
around the past disappointments I’ve been holding onto. My great expectations for many seasons of life
were not met, leaving me reluctant to dream big again. There have been so many things I’ve pursued,
sure that they would lead to a certain destination, only to find that the road was a lot bumpier
and windier than I had originally thought. Many times the road didn’t even lead to where I thought it would
at all—it only led me to find a new road, one where I would find myself starting over again, pursuing
yet another part of my heart, and hoping that somewhere along the way I would
find my home.
I guess I’m writing this for myself more than for anyone
else. I’ve spent too much time both looking
back and fearing the future. The Bible
does say perfect love casts out fear, but that doesn’t happen
automatically. And failing at something
does not make a person a failure—it simply makes a person stronger and
wiser. It is not foolish to keep
dreaming and try again—it’s foolish to not.
