Look back!!

"Do me a favor and look behind you before you back up..."
Jeni Rose, as she left to go back to Portland

Her advice was well-founded and well-intentioned. The only real difficulty I have had while driving lately has been not looking behind me and trouble occurs. More than once, as it happens. But I wondered what else this advice could mean if I look deeper. You see, I am much better moving forward through the world. I have worked hard at not looking behind me, wallowing in past mistakes or difficulties. That is what all the books tell me to do. I choose to look forward, not back. There could be times to look back, I acknowledge. Like occasionally glancing back to see how far we have progressed, for one. It is nice to look back and see God's tracks through our past, reaffirming his presence in our everyday lives. It is fun to look at old pictures of our families, and see the bright smiling faces of our kids. How young they were! How young WE were! These waning few days before New Year's invite us to look back on the the year gone by. But, I maintain, as we approach a bright, shining new year, I want to look forward. I want to focus on the here, now and not the past. Except, when backing out of the driveway...then I will do what Jeni suggests and look backward! Love heidi