Have you ever been on a long road trip? You look at the map and see how far it is to your next destination and wonder if you’ll ever get there? You pass the road signs and mark your progress but feel weary as the road doesn’t seem to move fast enough? But then you look at where you’ve come from! You glance down at the map and see you’ve actually traveled farther than you thought and you HAVE made progress from where you started.
Life can be like that road trip. I am usually so focused on today, tomorrow and other future plans that I forget to stop, pause, reflect, and look back to the wonderful things God has done in my life and the miracles that he has done in my life and the lives of my family. But I know that sometimes I need to stop and look back, to see how far I’ve come!
The Jewish nation celebrates Passover every year as a form of remembrance for God rescuing them from slavery in Egypt and bringing them into the promised land thereby creating the nation of Israel. Exodus 12:17 “…because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.”
I think that we not only need to remember that God has rescued us, brought us out of trials, and redeemed us, but we also need to remember that we’ve come a long way from where we started. When I reflect back on my life and where God has brought me - some of the trials that we have been through - I am humbled by his love and his faithfulness. He held me in the palm of his hand through miscarriages, bankruptcy, my son’s cancer journey, my mother’s death, my son’s death, through all the heartaches of life. I wasn’t alone; he didn’t abandon me. He was with me.
Sometimes my life feels like that long road trip and I wonder if I’m making any progress. I still lose my temper so easily. I have so little patience some days. I often open my mouth without engaging my brain and put my foot right into my mouth…..ugh, sometimes I feel like I never learn, never make any progress towards “growing up”! But then I look back to see where I’ve come from and yes, thanks to God and his patience, I am making progress….at least a little!
Do you ever look back on your life and wonder how you got to where you are? How you survived the battles? Look at the scars on your heart and wonder how you survived the wounds? Like the early Israelites, stop, pause, remember…..where God has brought you from. Psalm 105:5 “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,”
Do not be discouraged. Focus on the destination, but enjoy the journey. Remember that you are moving forward. You aren’t where you want to be, but you are no longer where you started! Together we’ll get there - one step at a time!
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