It seems that seasons always change, although here in northern California recently we've been enjoying an extended spring which has been quite wonderful! But eventually, we know the wind will turn warm, and summer will arrive—whether we like it or not.
And that's how it always is with life. Seasons come and seasons go. It’s predictable and even expected. What’s unpredictable is what we’ll do with new seasons as they come our way.
Today, I experienced the end of one season and the beginning of another. It was my final day teaching at a local Christian high-school. I've thoroughly enjoyed my opportunity to invest in the lives of hundreds of students over the past three years. And while leaving in many respects is bitter-sweet, there is a new season that awaits as our church launches our very own Mars Hill Christian School here in Fairfield this fall.
One of the worst things we can do in life is try to hang-on tightly to an already departed season. It’s like walking around in the desert heat of Arizona in August while wearing a winter parka and snow boots. It’s uncomfortable, it’s unnecessary and it’s completely counterproductive. It saps our strength, steals our energy, and renders us almost completely useless.
Often in life God asks us to embrace new challenges, to run toward new seasons, but our head and our heart experience fear and regret. So, we try to hold on to the past for as long as we can, even if we don’t like where we’ve been. It keeps us totally distracted as we let it dominate our thoughts. It’s comfortable, it’s familiar, and it’s holding us back from fulfilling our destiny.
Ask yourself this question: “What do I spend my time thinking about? The events of the past or the possibilities of the future?”
God’s word encourages us to look forward and embrace what lies ahead because it’s impossible to move ahead while living in the past. Sure, we all have regrets—things we wish would have turned out differently, situations we wish we would have handled better. Maybe even things that were done to us and were beyond our control. The very words of Jesus tells us that anyone who dwells on the past is useless. Strong words? Read them for yourself.
"Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62,
Sure, it’s a farming analogy in a high-tech culture but the implication is very clear. So how do we stop rehearsing old memories, deal with the pain and get past the past? We forgive. We forgive others, and maybe, most importantly, we forgive ourselves. We can either spend our time crying over the proverbial “spilled milk” or we can go to the store and just buy another gallon.
For me, I know it’s time to grow up. It’s time to move forward. It’s time to look ahead and embrace what God has planned for us just around the next corner. A new season might be the adventure of a lifetime!