Have you ever wished you could turn back the hands of time? Sort of like getting into a time machine and travel back to alter things a bit.
My favorite movies are the Back to the Future trilogy. If you have ever seen any of them, that is the whole premise. Marty McFly goes back in time and his doing so alters his future. There is a scene in the first movie where Marty is up on a hill watching his 1985 self while “reseeing” the events at the Twin Pines Mall as an outsider. He is watching the time traveler version of himself performing something he has already done. Confused? So was I the first time I watched it. The first time. The 50th? Not so. 🙂 Marty is careful to not allow his 1985 self encounter his 1955 self because he didn’t know what effect that would have. As it is, Marty sees how actions back in 1955 does alter his 1985 life. One example has his 1955 father standing up to the 1955 bully Biff and decking him with a punch. When Marty goes back to 1985 he finds everything changed. His father (who was bullied by Biff) is a just published author and Biff is a car detailer. Goodbye wimp status. Hello self-assured success story!
That is a wordie way to say that even though we may long to go back and change things in our past, we can’t. We all pretty much know what is done is done. Imagine if we could go back and tinker with events of the past. I would never have gone to the Bible college I went to, met the woman who was to become my wife, had two daughters, and had a grandson. I would have chosen to play professional ball and not become a pastor. Do I have any regrets? NOT. A. ONE. Would I change some of my actions? Sure I would. I would have chosen a different motive or response. Even serving a church that I regret going to has turned out to all be part of the lessons of life for me. I am where I am now because God led me on a certain path. And I am who I am because of God’s ultimate plan and work in my life. Proverbs 23:26 says, “O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.” That’s the secret!
I don’t regret my life. I do regret my sin and some of the stupid choices I made. But I’m living a life filled with God’s transforming, amazing, even spine-tingling grace. And for that there is no way I want to take a Delorean and travel back in time. I’ll settle for what God has for me today-a life directed by His hand of grace.
A life directed by God’s hand of grace . . . Could any of us want more than that? I don’t think so!
Blessings, Bill!
I’m with you Martha
It is mind blowing to think about how one small decision in our past could impact the trajectory of our present. Keeping that in mind, I think it should be on the front of our mind how our present actions could impact our now current future. (I am not sure that makes sense, but i am going with it). As you stated, we can’t turn back time and fix the mistakes we have made, but they SHOULD give us some perspective on our current actions and how they will impact our future and the future of those we love.
Totally understand what you are saying Ryan. Is that scary or what? 🙂 But I certainly agree that we should give some thought to future ramifications of our current actions.
Of course there are several things I wish I could change, but the only one thing that I wish I would have done sooner is giving my life to Christ. Growing up catholic, I did a lot of religious stuff, went to church, believed in God, believed in Jesus. The catholic faith put all their faith in the priest and church in what they said, not the Bible. I could go on and on with a lot of stuff here, but now God has my heart. I am learning to delight in His ways, and trust His voice over all others. The important thing to me now, is to finish strong, be thankful that I am saved, and try to use my lost path as a way to direct others to the truth.
I say this without blowing smoke Gail: your life is a testimony to your love for Jesus and your desire to love Him and finish strong. May your tribe increase!