“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands.” Psalm 143:5
My college roommate and dear friend once bought me a little sign that reads, “Don’t look back. You’re not going that way.” She had quite appropriately gifted it to me for my college graduation. Nursing school was finally behind me! I could focus on what was next in this grand adventure of life and run ahead at full steam.
So often, this is the advice that we extend to one another.
“Don’t let your past hold you back.”
“What’s done is done.”
“You can only control what is ahead of you.”
“Don’t look back.”
I know that I, too, have offered these lines to many friends over time, but as I was speaking to a friend on the phone last week I realized that there was something I had been overlooking in these commonly used phrases.
No, we aren’t headed that way.
No, we shouldn’t let our past hold us back.
Yes, what’s done is done.
Yes, we can only control what is ahead of us.
BUT we should look back.
While I do agree that we should not dwell in our past, or be hindered by that which is behind us, there is such great importance in glancing back from time to time.
How can we appreciate where we are if we do not remember where we have come from?
In my friend and I’s phone conversation last week, she was updating me on this leap of faith that she is taking in running her own business. As she was telling me all about it and how the pieces had so perfectly come together, I couldn’t help but realize how incredibly God had orchestrated not only these past few months, but her past few years to lead her to this exact opportunity. Relationships mended, work experience gained, and physical location plotted in perfection, even though she once tried to move away, all of which we were able to spend some time reflecting upon before hanging up the phone.
I often try to do this in my own life too. Every now and then I will set aside time to literally write down a flow chart of my life from my perspective. It sounds goofy, but it gives me a visual of how I got where I am today. I get a glimpse into the way that God has weaved together the strands of my life; work, friends, family, adventures, and experiences. Those things have all been a part of bringing me to this spot today and as I take time to reflect on them, a thankfulness grows within me, knowing that I have been equipped in every way for what lies ahead.
Take time to sit down and look back – even if just for a glance. Write it out if that helps!
Look back on your friendships. Who have you been surrounded by? What are the details of how you met?
Look back on your professional journey. How were you directed and equipped? What opportunities have been provided?
Look back into the details of how you’ve been shaped by experience. What have you gone through? How have you grown? How did it prepare you for what came next?
Look back on your walk with Christ. How did He reach you personally? Who were you then versus who you are now? Who were pertinent people in your walk? How has your life changed as you pursue Him?
The list of questions could go on forever. You don’t have to look back on every area of life and ask yourself every question you can think of all at once, but don’t hesitate to let yourself glance back from time to time. My hope is that as you take the time to look back, you too will walk away encouraged for what is ahead.
I am currently reading a book by Max Lucado called Anxious for nothing, in which he said, “There is a reason the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror. Your future matters more than your past”
I had to laugh a little bit when I read those words because that beloved sign that my friend had given me hung from the rearview mirror of my car for many years. Certainly the majority of our focus should be through the windshield of our lives, but every now and then we need to glance at the rearview mirror to appreciate the journey.
Maybe someday I’ll get a sign that says, “Don’t forget to look back, but remember you’re not going that way.”
