Ecclesiastes 7:10, “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”
The older I get, the more reflective I am becoming. I am afraid I am becoming like some other people I know. And honestly that scares me just a little bit. I was born in 1960, therefore…
I remember… Rabbit ears on the TV WITH tin foil. Getting a phone that was pushbutton, not rotary dial. Being the remote for the TV. Only having four channels on TV (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS). A window air conditioner unit in our home (Downstairs only) & using an attic fan at night AND sleeping with the windows open all summer. When cable TV had 21 channels. My first car was a Datsun B-210… 4 cylinder… no A/C… 8 Track tape… no FM. My first cell phone was after I was married… was carried in a bag… and cost .25 a minute. When I paid 50 cents a gallon for gas (And when gas cost 30 cents/gal). Walking one mile home from High School every day (Except when it rained).
Those were the good old days!
Ecclesiastes 7:10, “Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.”
The past is a fun place to visit every now and then, but I don’t want to live there. I’m coming to the conclusion that to live in the past is actually unhealthy emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically. People I know who live in the past are not enjoying life TODAY. As a result I believe they are missing out on many things God is doing around them. Living in the past means that person is out of touch with reality because the past is over, gone, done, & can’t be brought back.
The past has a lot of good memories for me, but I am much more excited about today! I am much more passionate about tomorrow! I am looking forward with joy, hope, and wonder!
I wonder… What will God do today that I can be a part of? What will I see God doing today that I would never have expected? What will I see God do in the lives of my family and friends that will change them forever… for their good? What can I be doing TODAY that puts me in a position to be used by God TOMORROW? What blessings will I receive from God that are totally unexpected? Will today (Or tomorrow) be the day Jesus returns?
No, it is not good to live in the past. And it’s not good to be overly obsessed or worried about tomorrow either. I say that because God said to Paul, “My grace IS sufficient for you!” He didn’t say “WAS sufficient” or “WILL BE sufficient.” He said IS SUFFICIENT.
Therefore… I pray that I will live each day and each moment of each day in hope, joy, and wonder of the grace of God.
Just a few thoughts for reflection…
My first car was a ’76 Datsun B-210 too…hatchback, turquoise with black vinyl interior…blazing hot in the summertime!