If you have lived any length of time you have likely tallied up many life experiences both good and bad. There are some that we cherish in our memories and others that we wish we could erase.
And now I'm looking out at the road that's waiting
But my eyes can only see so far out ahead of me
As sure as the sun will shine there'll be more mountains I will climb
And more deep dark shadowlands where desperate faith is all I have
Until I'm home, I'm resting all my hope and trust
In the only One whose name is: God with us
One thing is certain - rarely does life go as we planned.
Stuff happens.
I can only look at my own life and see the twists and turns my path has taken me to where I am today. These life experiences can either make us better or make us bitter people. The idea of this blog came when I saw a man walking through a parking lot with a scowl on his face. It looked like a permanent one etched with years of life which made me wonder if life had dealt him some bad experiences and hardened him.
We are all formed by the experiences of our lives. I can tell you from personal experience that I haven't always handled some experiences very well nor have I always made wise decisions. Those decisions have shaped my direction in life and what I have left of it. What I have done in the past - both good and bad - are in the past.
I do not attend class or family reunions because people have your frozen in time. To most of my relatives, they know me as "Little Milton" because my grandfather was also Milton. They only remember as the "Little Milton" version of me and haven't seen me since I was a teen. I cringe when they hug me and say they love me. Love me? They don't even know me now!
Life changes us. We are no longer the frozen photo in the family album or the class yearbook.
So how has life changed you? Are you a hardened or are you a better version of yourself? We all make those choices but it's never too late to become a better person.
God has given us free will to make our own decisions. It is important to remember that God will be with us through it all. Sure, we need to trust God but we can't expect Him to make them for us. He can make all things work together for good in our lives. I know that I have done that in my own life. I was once totally OCD with being in God's will and driving myself crazy to make the absolute right decision and when I didn't it really brought me down. I have learned that God is much like our GPS apps. Yes, we won't always make the right decision but He will get us back on track again.
In Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Remember to Remember" he sings:
But my eyes can only see so far out ahead of me
As sure as the sun will shine there'll be more mountains I will climb
And more deep dark shadowlands where desperate faith is all I have
Until I'm home, I'm resting all my hope and trust
In the only One whose name is: God with us
On this life's road, we do the best that we can. Can't look back with regrets but press forward to be a better version of us.
