20
Oct '18
Rear View Mirror
20
Oct '18
When a struggle in life comes at you out of the blue…. on an idle Saturday….. at 2pm….. like a freight train, you feel helpless. (Maybe you saw it coming.. but did you really?) You feel like your whole world is crashing down around you. You feel it fully and deeply and you feel like you can’t breathe. Here’s where we need to take a step back and just look at the whole forest (and see a different perspective).
I realized in that moment, that’s what I had to do and I truly believe God gave me the lens to do that so I could see this difficult situation more clearly, and see myself and the situation through His eyes. Pastor Frank teaches “Nothing can touch/harm me unless God allows it first”. So, God allowed this difficult situation to happen in my life, and since God is my Father, my Comforter, my Everything – I know it was meant for good in my life.
“Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?” – Lamentations 3:37 NLT
I’m a thinker – so as I was dealing with this struggle in life, I started thinking… immediately. Was being in the forest as that tiny tree what was really best for me? As I looked out over the forest, I realized that God did not intend for me to be that tiny little obscure tree, so He showed me the forest from the outside. It was then that I realized what God really wanted for me. Being that tiny tree was NOT God’s plan for my life. He wanted (and wants) so much more for me. He wants to give me His best. (Don’t get me wrong, what is best for me sometimes hurts to the core of my being). Sometimes what I pray for, God doesn’t give me (because not knowing any better, for so long I prayed to stay the tiny little tree because I was comfortable and “used to” being there). And you know what? I can either be upset about it, or I can accept it and KNOW beyond doubt that God always knows best for my life. I can scream and yell and ask “Why me?”, or I can rest in the arms of Jesus and let Him comfort me and tell me that what is best for me is going to hurt sometimes. What is best for me may not be comfortable. What is best for me is going to stretch me and mold me into something more Christ-like.
“He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever”. – Psalm 136:23 NLT
So, what does being more Christ-like look like? I’m glad you asked. In my case, I feel one of the many areas God is making me more Christ-like is how I’m finding that I am feeling more empathy for others going through trials. Did I feel empathetic prior to this “stretching and molding” phase? Yes, I did – but I have even more to give now. I feel more deeply for those going through hard times. I have many friends who are going through trials right now that prior to this trial I went through, I wasn’t as “in tune” with their lives. I was so consumed with my life and how things were going with me that I nearly overlooked the pain and struggles of others. Did that mean I didn’t care? Absolutely not, but what it did mean was that I didn’t focus or pray for things as God wanted me to. So, now I have the Echo Prayer App that is full of people and situations that I pray through each night. (Some of you are on my prayer list and you don’t even know it)! What I’m trying to say is that I know beyond DOUBT (beyond DOUBT!) that God was involved in the recent struggles I’ve gone through in my own life to mold me and make me more like Him. In her book “She’s Still There”, Chrystal Evans Hurst states “The good news is you don’t have to know where the trail leads in order to follow it. Sometimes the only way out is through”. Such raw truth in that statement for me.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2 NLT
So as the days and months pass, life has moved forward for me and my focus has shifted. I’m excited for what God has in front of me. I’m not looking backward anymore, and the forest no longer looks scary after looking through the lens the Lord has provided. I have found there’s now a gap from where I was before in the struggle.. and my recent past is getting further and further behind me. I know what’s back there (I remember it clearly), but I can’t look that way anymore. God’s way is my future. I have to look to the future (forward-motion) – even though I don’t know what’s ahead. So, right now, I’m comfortable where the Lord has me – which is in essence, the gap in the middle. In the middle is where I’ve found strength. In the middle is where I’ve found purpose. In the middle is where I’ve learned to latch onto God and allow Him to move me forward. In the middle is where I’m learning to be more like Christ. While the past is staying put (steadfast behind me), when I choose God over my past, I am allowing Him to propel me forward toward what He has ahead for me. (“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” – Philippians 3:13 NLT) And you know what? As I move forward and get closer to God while the past keeps getting further and further behind, God continues to move forward. What’s so great about this is that I just have to take His hand and continue taking those forward motion steps with and toward God and watch Him unfold my future.
“Beware of looking back at what you once were, when God wants you to become someone you’ve never been”. – Oswald Chambers
To move forward, remember – we don’t have to have it all figured out. Just keep your eyes focused on Him, soak up what’s happening “in the middle”, and let go of the past – it’s in the rear view mirror for a reason.
*Dena*
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Loved this Dena! So proud of you and the adjustments in your focus and faith. Keep praising HIM….you will never be sorry. Love you!
Thank you for this comment! Touched my heart more than you know! Love you!
Dena,
I love this perspective…… To move forward, remember – we don’t have to have it all figured out. Just keep your eyes focused on Him, soak up what’s happening “in the middle”, and let go of the past – it’s in the rear view mirror for a reason.
Im proud of your moving forward, change is SCAREY. Yet we ARE stronger then we think.
What’s this app you referrance?
Hey Holli.. It’s a Prayer App simply called Echo.. you can find it in your Apple App Store, or in Android Google Play. I love it!