The past, present and future…all parts of our story.
I am intrigued by history, especially my family’s history. The people, where they lived, the origins of their stories. Knowing my roots and where I came from is not only a part of their stories, but my story. God’s story. While I may not always pay attention, God has been weaving a unique story through the generations of my family.
I’ve tried to capture those stories, mostly in small bits and pieces through the memories of my mother and father. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of it have been shared.
No one has a perfect story, and I think we’d rather forget about the bad and the ugly parts, but we have to wonder, why were those unwanted parts written in? We can stay stuck in those past parts, but God offers something better.
Throughout the Bible, we find stories filled with the reality of hard things. Highs and lows are scattered throughout the lives of the people yet, in those stories, God shows up.
I think about the woman at the well in John 4. Her name was not revealed in this story, but what was revealed was how Jesus saw her and knew everything about her. Her brief and poignant encounter with him turned her life of disgrace into freedom. With that, she came out of hiding. Her shame was washed away by forgiveness offered by Christ. A simple conversation about grace gave way to understanding how Jesus was the one to fulfill her every need. He described and explained himself as Living Water, and she would never again thirst or need things that would lead her to a dark existence.
Her “ah ha” moment led to sharing this understanding with everyone in her village. To those who cast judgment against her. She experienced the meaning of acceptance and the offer of eternal life. This interaction beautifully illustrates how failures are turned into treasure when we accept the free gift Jesus offers. We then can give glory to God for transforming the ugly parts of our stories into something that can be used to help others see his love for us.
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah43:18-19
Our present forms a different page in our story. It seems much has disrupted the status quo of life and I know, for me, it is sometimes easy to be overwhelmed by the circumstances each day presents. These moments of overwhelm can cause me to question the strength of my faith. Do I practice what I preach? Am I who God says I am?
We have all been affected in some way over the years. The impact is real and can be felt in our present lives. It might look like having no motivation, wanting to stay cocooned in our little world, or being unable to make simple decisions. I know this is true as I share my own thoughts with others. I am not alone, and you aren’t either! I have to be my own coach, telling myself to just “do it.” I must move out of my box otherwise I could stay stuck in some of these described places. I know God has more for me.
His Word is the motivation to get me through each day, through the present and it is beautifully offered in the Scriptures.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:10-12.
And then we have our future. It is filled with mystery. We just don’t know what it holds. If we take in too much noise from the world, we can be filled with fear. But God offers a promise to take care of us as we embrace and hold within us the gift of his Holy Spirit. He controls everything, so if an ounce of fear or worry is in you, give it to Him. He’s not oblivious to what lies ahead. As we offer our thoughts to Him, we can rest in Him. There are many scriptures to meditate upon regarding this, but one that offers great assurance about the future is found in 1 Peter.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5
Where do we go from here? How do we deal with an unsettled past, a challenging present, and an unknown future? I wish I had a hard and fast answer or a three step process to follow, but I don’t.
I can offer one thing that has been helpful to me, and that is a practice of sitting with the Lord each day. You can do this too! Pick a time and a comfortable place and be still. I started doing this a few months ago by simply reading one psalm each day. I also found an app that walks through a daily Lectio Divina meditation. Each day offers a scripture reading and reflection. These practices may not fit you, so try something that does. You can meet God in a daily walk or through some other practice. Music, art, writing, or having coffee with a friend. The possibilities are endless. There is no right or wrong way to spend time with the Lord. Find what speaks to your heart and enjoy your time with your Maker.
Walk to the Well,
Finding hope when life gets disrupted
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