Isaiah 43:18-19

I went to court today... Pleaded "no contest" to not stopping before turning right on red. Long story short, I asked the judge a bunch of questions, she kindly told me NO and reduced my fine to leave me with a $300+ picture and some demerit points. I don't know... I think the picture was worth it.

I was pretty irritated with the whole procedure. That one intersection (according to reports), brings in about $500,000 a year from "patient" peeps like myself. It's a great money making mechanism, but probably not a good idea for restaurants on that intersection. That was one expensive burger. At least I got a picture.

Anyway... I'm trying my best to not complain about ANYTHING, and give thanks in all situations (hence my "glee" at the candid and frankly unflattering picture). I think a large part of that, for me at least, is letting go of the past and not revisiting it with regret or reminiscence. My mom shared the following verses with me a while back, reminding me to press on and live in the present. It was so timely.

Isiah 43

¹⁸ "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

¹⁹ See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.

As a bit of Mother's Day plug, I must say that my mom is really blessed with these words of wisdom backed by love and compassion. I am a beneficiary. When I was younger, my parents gave me a card that read something along the lines of: when you live in the past with all your regrets, I (God) am not there... when you live in the future, with all of its aspirations and ambitions, I am not there... when you live in the present, I am.

I'll always remember that card. I don't think it's theologically 100%, but it's a great reminder that we were NOT made to live on past memories and accomplishments or future hopes / pleasures. I constantly find myself falling into that trap. Somehow, when you remember the past - EVEN times of suffering - they always seem rosy compared to present sufferings. Army was GREAT, even though I hated being devoured by mosquitoes or sleeping in doo-doo. College was GREAT, even though I struggled with workload/responsibilities/job search... You get the point.

On certain occasions (when I am not picking the log out of my eye), I find myself in conversations where people are constantly complaining. No matter how you frame it, there is always a negative take. If you look carefully at these conversations, there's always an aspect of either: the past was so much better or it's so much better to be in the future. Kids want to be adults, adults want to be kids, college kids want to work, working adults want to study... You name it.

Forget the former things. That is life. If you (I really mean I) stop living in the past, you'll see that God is moving and working in your life in the very present. Do you not perceive it? Take stock of your life. God has never let you down and He never will; His track record is perfect. There is no joy in being a downer and living in the past. He promises us a life of fullness, and that is a life that is trusting Him to take care of us as we embark on this wild adventure. I really wish that I could perceive this in full and be so convinced... yet convicted by my lack of faith. He is making these streams and ways, EVEN in the midst of our deserts and wastelands (yes... even when we refused to listen and stubbornly made our way there).

Oh well. At this point, I have reached the level of shamelessly preaching to myself, and leveraging my expensive picture as fodder for optimism and a timely reminder for joy. I shall stop.