I picked up a copy of Dr. David Jeremiah’s book, Forward, and made it as far as the introduction before I had to stop and ponder. I will get back to the book for the rest of the teaching, but his words resonated with ideas that tumble in my thoughts. Retirement has not followed my well-crafted plan, and my “second-half” career has not yet taxied much less lifted off the runway. Challenges I did not expect, realities I failed to fathom, endless second-guessing—all contribute to deep and heartfelt analysis. Did I miss the path? Have I taken a wrong turn?
Maybe you are nodding with me. You’ve been there, too.
Dr. Jeremiah writes, “Your God-given future is not a haphazard jumble of confusing contingencies….You’re traveling an appointed way filled with promise and productivity. Everything in your past has prepared you for what’s next, and every promise of God will provide what’s needed.[1]”
The theme verses for Forward come from Paul’s pen, and they are a pair of my favorites.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 NASB
Forget and reach forward. Two simple commands, well, at least they sound simple on paper.
I gained many valuable skills during my years in college including the ability to back a truck into a tight space. Backing a vehicle using those twin mirrors has proven useful in so many adventures.
My darling daughters roped me in to watch Pixar’s movie “Cars” some years back. They roared with laughter at the scene where “Mater” demonstrates his impressive backward driving skills using his rear view mirrors. “That is so you, Dad!” I was awarded my very own “Mater” collector’s item picture which occupies an honored spot on the wall in the shop.
When we operate a motor vehicle an occasional glance behind is good practice. But not one of us wants to drive while only looking backwards, and the rest of us do not want to ride with you if you do. That backward focus prevents us from seeing the road ahead with its challenges and opportunities.
And, folks, when our plan is shredded and the results we expected do not materialize we can become paralyzed with backwards looking. Frozen in time with forward progress halted—lots of people get stuck right there. We can’t go back to the past. We can’t relive it or change it in any way. We can only travel forward. We can learn from the past, but then we also must forget it, put it out of mind, and drop the baggage.
Reaching forward requires that we stretch out toward a goal with a determination to grab it. I once backside-sledded down a slick roof and picked up speed on the plummet. My hope lay in the vent pipe for the hot water heater which beckoned beyond my finger tips just before the final fall into the abyss. I reached forward, caught the pipe, and stopped the ride. Whew!
I cannot reach forward if my hands are already full reliving the past. I need free hands to grab at the new goal, which Paul defines as “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Serving God. As He desires. And He often surprises us. We think we have life nailed down, and God tosses a curve ball. A life dedicated to following God is never boring.
In recent months I have been writing my upcoming book, Facets of Manhood, which has developed more slowly than I would like. After several restarts, reorganizations, and direction changes I think it is starting to gel, and I hope to have a completed manuscript by the end of year. I am also hoping to return to writing and posting blogs more often. But the plan is always subject to change.
Dr. Jeremiah adds, “sometimes we forget that our richest moments of divine service are at hand.[2]”
We should be excited to step into the uncertain, to travel the unknown. After all, God is already there.
[1] Jeremiah, David. Forward. Nashville: W Publishing Group. 2020. p xiii.
[2] Jeremiah, David. Forward. Nashville: W Publishing Group. 2020. p xvi.
Credit for rearview photo: Kristin Runyan
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