day 1299: Hanging Onto The Past

"This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people."

We never know what from the past will show up in the present.  And when it does, all bets are off as to the reaction.  Sometimes this will be astonishment, amazement and wonder.  Other times the past will dredge up memories that still sting and hurt and cause even greater resentment.  And the past can also be a ho-hum as we have moved forward so far that we can't truly recognize and appreciate what it must have been like back then.  On December 31st this story was published about the discovery of  a blue color referenced in the Old Testament.  You can read about this blue dye here.  Why does this matter to our businesses?  In business we many forget the past and once a few people have have moved on, we have no recollection of shared learning of what we had already discovered in the past that could be relevant today.  We don't keep "archives" like a museum or repository.  But, that doesn't mean we should ignore our pasts.  Our pasts can be rich with knowledge and treasures, that if we pay attention towards, might well open up the insights we need for the future.

Many times in our spiritual lives we are taught to put the past behind us and move forward.  That is correct when our past is what holds us back spiritually.  But, our past can also be very valuable to others if we are just willing to share it openly.  We each have cataloged a set of experiences that if we were to keep in context of our present and future would be lessons for those around us.  These lessons can come from both our success and our failure.  When we open up with others about our past there is a humanity that comes through that gives us the opportunity to share what really drives us forward.  God's message is one that is rooted in the past, given to us in the present, and full of a future of promise.  Why wouldn't we want to share all that He has done for us?

Reference: Colossians 1:26 (New Living Translation)

Day 85: Don't Look Back

This past week I got caught in the ice-storms that fell on Kentucky and Indiana. On my first full day there, on an eight-day trip, the big storm came in and took away power and made it nearly impossible to drive and get around. The driveway at my Mother’s place in Southern Indiana was impossible to go up all the way so I found myself driving halfway up, parking and then having to back down when time to leave. The unfamiliar backing down on this eighth of a mile curvy and sloped driveway would be too scary but I grew up there and I know it to the point that I could almost do it without the lights on in the dark. But I did something yesterday I normally would never do. As I was backing down, I turned my head for just a second to look and see where I had come from and then when I returned to where I was heading I had lost direction and I was off to the side and heading for the ditch. Fortunately, I was able to course correct fast enough and miss getting stuck. “Whew, I said to myself”. I was immediately reminded of the times that we are told in the Bible to “not look back” from where we have come as it will mess up the course of where we are going. Jesus says it about our spiritual lives in Luke 9:62, "Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God." We also learned to not look back as Lot's wife did and she turned to the pillar of salt. At work is easy to look back over the twists and turns of our career. We think about promotions missed, opportunities turned down, moves not made, etc. I have a dear friend who didn't make a move years ago to another company when the decision came down to the needs of his family over his career desires. He has had a great career and done well, but to this day he still laments and is haunted over not making the move. It is hard for me, but I just say to him, "get over it. It all worked out okay". People who look back and fixate on the past or yearn for the "good old days" tend to not have such a straight path to the future. God has great things in store for us in life and in the part of our lives we call work. We can be living our purpose within our work and He wants us to keep our eyes fixed forward (and upward) on Him and the plans he has for us. If you are harboring the misses in your career and job, then like my buddy, "get over it"! It's time for us to straighten our path and continue to move to the future with purpose and meaning. So today, if you find yourself in that backward looking mood, do a 180 turn and make today a forward looking blessed day.

Reference: Luke 9:62 (New Living Testament)