LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR
One of the best memories I have from childhood is going to Coatepeque lake in El Salvador every weekend with my family. My dad, who has always been a very athletic man, taught all of us how to water ski. While we all enjoyed it very much, I remember no one enjoyed it like he did. Why? Because he was an expert. As the boat pulled him by the rope, he would slide on the water, to the left, then to the right, with marvelous control on his speed and direction. The rest of us could not do that. We used to be lifted out of the water and then all we would do is stand still and try not to fall.
Until one day he taught us what his secret was- and the secret, he said, was in his eyes. “Whenever you want to go somewhere, the first thing you must do is to look that way and you will begin to feel your whole self moving towards that direction.” At first I did not believe the simplicity of it. I remember I was impatient for the weekend to arrive so that I could try this new advice. Finally the weekend came and off to the lake we went. I was the first one to go into the water that day and try out what my dad had said. To my surprise, it worked!! I looked to the right, and suddenly felt my whole body leaning towards that side, and my whole self moving towards that direction. Waterskiing only got better from that day on!! I could control the direction where my skis took me, have more movement and enjoy the ride.
Something similar happens in our lives- we can’t look in the rear view mirror and expect to move ahead. Where are your eyes focusing on? Are you tempted to be fixed on things you cannot change? Are your thoughts lingering on goals that were underachieved? Or are you believing Romans 8:28 to be true for you? “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
This just reminds me of Lot’s wife- The book of Genesis in the Bible tells us that she “looked back” at the city that they were leaving, and “she turned into a pillar of salt”. Every time we allow our thinking to be focused on toxic remorse, every time we get stuck in the past, we are allowing ourselves to become like a bitter “pillar of salt”.
So I encourage you to begin this day with your eyes set on the Lord and what He will do for you in the next days. His mercies are new every morning! Make a list of the most frequent toxic thoughts that are bothering you and meet with one of the persons in your circle of accountability. Try to find a Bible verse that confronts the toxic thought. This is the Lord’s promise for you today-
“But forget all that—
it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Isaiah 43.18-19
Heavenly Father, Thank you for Your Presence in my life. I know not everything in my life has been perfect. I surrender everything to you today- my victories, my failures, my “if onlys” and my “what if`s”. I surrender my past and my future to you because I trust you. Help me keep my eyes on you every step of the way. In Jesus´ Name, Amen.
