remember the time...

Several months ago I decided to take a long drive and think and just “be”. I had no real destination in mind when I departed but as I headed in a certain direction, a wave of nostalgia flooded over me and before I knew it, I was en route to my childhood home. I was born in New York but my father was transferred to California while I was only two years old. We landed in a very quaint and remote town on the outskirts of the East Bay Area called Clayton. Unfortunately, mom and dad had a turbulent and dysfunctional marriage that ended in divorce when I was only eleven yet despite the sadness and division, there was something about these old four walls that have been eternally grafted into my memory. As Miranda Lambert sang so poetically, “…it was the house that built me….” Truth is, despite all of the family drama, I had a fabulous childhood here! I hadn’t returned to this place but a couple of times over the course of my adult life and I hadn’t lived in this home for 35 years yet I could still take you on a virtual tour of every room and describe it in detail to you to this day. I even remember my very first phone number (672-7246). As I turned right onto Mount Rainier Ct., I felt a rush of adrenaline and could sense my pulse quickening as a flood of memories immediately rushed in like one could only experience when encountering the confluence of geography and the tactile reality of a deep emotional connection to a certain place and time. I parked my car on the street for a moment and then remembered that this was the exact spot where my dad taught me how to ride a bike. Remarkably, the same rock garden that I helped install in the front yard of the home was still in tact after all these years and the old red burglar alarm bell could still be seen hidden behind a tall evergreen bush off the front porch. I could go on and on about all the tackle football games I played in our greenbelt or my pet parakeet buried in a shoebox under the tree but I’ll stop here because it’s likely you know what I’m talking about and I bet you can relate in your own special ways. 

I took you on this brief stroll down my personal nostalgic avenue for a reason and to ask you this question. Are you stuck in the past, feeling like your best days were behind you or are you filled with hope and promise about your future? 

Every once in a while, I will find myself getting stuck in a past moment. It’s usually when I’m feeling disconnected to God or some special person in my life or when I’m experiencing loss on some level. I will wish for the way things were. I may even try and recreate the “magic” just one more time but it never works. Why? Because there is a time and season for everything. Taking time to reflect on the past is a good thing. Nostalgia is a powerful emotion. It evokes sentiment and affection on a very personal level. It connects us to a period in time or a place that is meaningful to us yet may be neutral or sterile for someone else. But there is a difference between reflecting on the past and living there. 

Then, there are some of us who would rather forget our past or even curse it out of shame and regret. Listen, the past is not meant for regret or bitterness or holding a grudge. You can’t learn anything from the present (it’s happening to you right now!) and you can’t learn anything from the future (it hasn’t happened yet) but you can learn a ton from the past. Whether spotless or checkered, our past histories are a gift to each of us. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and as we allow ourselves to reflect on the past, not live there but look there, we will find three key elements for a better life. A quick glance in the rear view mirror of our lives will reveal gratitude, wisdom and faith. Gratitude as we remember all that we’ve conquered, created and achieved. Wisdom as we recall the many lessons learned and subsequent maturity that has since followed. And Faith as the proven track record of God’s grace, love and mercy toward us has proven unconditionally steadfast and secure proving He is able to go the distance with us as we press forward.

The best is yet to come! Let’s go get it!

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.“