“There is so much more life in your front windshield than in your rear view mirror.” The first time that I heard this was listening to Andy Stumpf’s podcast, Cleared Hot. I regularly listen to it, and appreciate Stumpf’s and his guests’ perspectives. One of the common threads that run throughout the Cleared Hot episodes is perseverance in the face of adversity. Doing the good and often hard work that will benefit not only yourself but those around you.
From conversations I’ve had and listened to, and primarily from my own experience, it’s easy to become fixated on the past. In the rear view mirror, we may be looking at the “Glory Days” as captured by the Bruce Springsteen song (and if you're anything like me, a reference to “The Boss” is forever connected to the “Crime Aid” episode of The Office, but I digress). For most of us, those fond memories sometimes feel so tangible that when they are evoked by a scent, sound, conversation or whatever, we wish we could revisit that moment in time. Conversely, the past might be filled with traumatic events that feel impossible to escape from the pain that was caused which leaves you paralyzed. Whether consciously or unconsciously the past will always have a significant impact on our lives. But how often do we become fixated on that rear-view mirror, to the point where we will likely run the car off the road?
Even last night, I dreamed of returning to my old position as the Grounds Supervisor at Gordon-Conwell. It was a great season and I would be lying if I said I didn’t want my old job back. Then there are times when not-so-pleasant past experiences emerge, especially when that internal critic rears its ugly head. The bottom line for me, and for you is how we interact with the past. Does it leave us stuck? Does it cause us to want to recreate it? Does it cause us to want to run and hide? Or does it provide the motivation to move forward? And when we gain that forward momentum what sustains it/ us?
Moving forward can be challenging, and uncomfortable, but isn’t that what growth is? Seasons, circumstances, communities all change. We change. As Stumpf says, “progression is non-linear.” And the reality is that sometimes 1 step forward does equal 2 steps backward. The question is how do you respond when it feels like momentum has been lost? It happens. It will happen again and again. How do we regain that momentum? Take a breath, come up with a game plan, dust ourselves off and get back after it. Surround yourself with community that walks alongside of you on this journey.
Yes, you want to be aware of what’s behind you but you also want to focus on the wide expanse of the way that’s ahead of you. After all, isn’t that what Christ calls us to when he beckons us to follow him? One of the main emphases throughout Scripture is the call to remember. Remember what God has done in the past. Learn from the past. You have gained hard-earned wisdom and experience, hopefully. Use that to inform the journey ahead. Even if that journey takes place in valleys and on mountaintops, through storms and stillness, Christ continually beckons us to place our trust in him and put one foot in front of the other. I believe that this grounds us and helps us remain present. Don’t let the past rob you of the good stuff that is in front of you. Don’t let the past keep you from being present in the lives of those who care about you. So, don’t forget to breathe. Be patient with and kind to yourself in this thing called life. Join up with fellow sojourners. Keep looking through the windshield, continue to pursue growth, continue to pursue the good, true, and beautiful. You and those in your life will be better for it.