Embracing the Present: Moving Forward in Faith

As the sunshine streamed through the large picture window and bathed the floor in its warmth, it was impossible not to feel the magic of childhood. The tiny Matchbox cars, in their miniature perfection, seemed to spark the imagination of the young boy playing with them, lost in a world of dreams. That was over 60 years ago. Today, many of those cherished Matchbox cars are carefully stored in an old steamer trunk, but no matter how many times you look back, you can’t go back. The 68-year-old man cannot sit on the hard wooden floor in front of a picture window and play with the same enthusiasm as he once did as a child.

I was reminded of this recently at a funeral. As I shook the hand of a lady who had come to pay her respects, we struck up a conversation. It wasn’t long before we realized that, years ago, we had dated as teenagers. My goodness, how times had changed! That young girl had certainly changed—a lot, I must add. And I’m sure I had changed as well. We both agreed that we could never return to those teenage years. Frankly, we wouldn’t want to. So much has happened since then, and we’ve each had different experiences that have shaped our lives in new ways.

As Christians, we must remember that we cannot go back. We cannot change the past or erase what has happened. Our only choice is to move forward. The hope is that we can learn from our past, and that our experiences will help us make better decisions and wiser choices moving forward.

One of the struggles the Israelites faced was their constant tendency to revert to their old ways. This behavior not only harmed them but also weakened their relationship with God.

In Joshua 24:14, Joshua urged the people to make a decision: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” This wasn’t a one-time decision—it was an ongoing choice that they had to make every day. The same is true for us today. Each day, we have to choose whom we will follow. Will we follow our own ways, or will we choose to follow the ways of the Lord?

While we cannot go back, we can choose to move forward with the Lord. What will your choice be today?