Today is National Backward Day, which sounds completely made up but has an actual history that dates back to the Romans. I can see where it would be fun to celebrate this day. Eat dessert first, for instance. I am not, however, wearing my shirt backward or my underwear on the outside.
And, looking backward can be a serious trap. A rearview mirror is handy when backing out of a parking spot. But we can’t zoom ahead on the Interstate that way. To get somewhere, we have to look forward through the windshield. (Unless you are the stunt guy during a high-speed chase scene.)
When I first noticed this date, I was tempted to look a bit too long in the rearview mirror. Today also marks one year from our leap into the retirement pool. We really expected to have a clearer view of life by now. A bigger windshield. Instead, I had thoughts like this: What is our purpose? Should we launch second careers? Can we discipline ourselves to live on this budget? Did we make a huge mistake 365 days ago?
Fortunately, I saw something else online that made me hit the brakes. Hard.
“Forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14
I’m not forgetting the past as if it never happened. I treasure those memories, and I’ve learned from them. But I’m not living there. I’m not bumping into curbs and cars and signposts while I try to find my way ahead. Instead, I’m facing forward
I don’t remember who posted this scripture today, but thanks. I needed that.
(And speaking of happy memories, my handsome husband was driving a slug bug much like the one pictured here when we met 49 years ago.)