Objects in the rearview mirror are SMALLER than they appear!!!

This morning during my quiet time I was reading in the book of Acts about the life and trials of Paul, formerly known as Saul of Tarsus. As I read through the plight of his rebellious earlier days I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace knowing the end of the story, and how he was eventually transformed through the power and grace of Christ on Damascus road. It really got me thinking about the amazing power of restoration and the fact that it’s never too much and it’s never too late; regardless of the severity and/or longevity of our past indiscretions.  I have been very encouraged over the last several weeks and seem to have regained some spiritual “mojo” that has been missing in my life for the better part of seven or eight months.  I have recently dusted off the new book that I wrote a while back (Restoration by Waters Edge) and have sent it to an editor to restart the process of getting it published. You see, I was feeling unworthy of publishing a Christian poetry book, but have been reminded by my God in recent days of my mission to continue to share my testimony.  Just because I lost sight of Him for a while; He NEVER lost sight of me; and I need to stay the course.  He doesn’t lose sight of YOU as either; that is a promise…..His promise.

 Matthew 28:20 – “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”

Reading about Paul and the shameful way he lived in his youth gave me an all too familiar glimpse into my own past and I realized that in spite of all of the mistakes I’ve made; there is no depth of sin that God can’t heal. And He quite often uses the most unlikely candidates in the land to show not only His incredible love, but His ultimate omnipotence and amazing grace. This former murderer of God’s chosen people was the crystal clear choice to help lead the early Christian movement and eventually author the majority of the New Testament. Think about that for a minute and try your best to relate this back to your own life and the mistakes you have made. I don’t know about you, but this message fills me with a vibrant light; is there anything better?  Is there anything better then knowing that you can and will be forgiven of all of your sins when you follow Christ and allow Him to lead your life? It’s the best gift of this life for certain and one that you don’t even have to earn; it’s given freely through propitiation or Christ on the cross; the atonement for our sins.  Something that we were just reminded of this past weekend as we celebrated the death and resurrection of Jesus.  Pretty amazing, right? Now we know why its called Amazing Grace!!!

My deep dive into Acts also got me thinking about the peculiar concept of time; and how our relationship with the past, present and future shapes our lives in both positive or negative ways.  I remember writing a great deal about this topic in my first book, My Back Nine, and to be perfectly honest; I think I missed the mark. You see, back then my life wasn’t truly committed to Christ and I was still using some of my OWN antidotes to drive home my message. My heart was in the right place; but not being completely sold out to faith in Christ; I feel my writing was diluted. This has completely changed for me now, and my writing is a clear interpretation of my perspective pursuant to who I am in Christ coupled with my life’s mission.  The result is that my writing feels more authentic to me and my agenda is no longer about me; but what Christ can do in our lives if we put our faith and trust in Him. Anyway, my analysis of time while I was writing my first book had me reading and studying a great deal about the present moment. I dove into books from Eckhart Toole (The Power of Now), Wayne Dyer (Change your Thoughts, Change your Life), Rhonda Byrd (The Secret), and other authors that discuss deep and meaningful notions of the present moment; among other items.  Don’t get me wrong, I learned a great deal from reading those materials and I enjoyed that process.  But in the end it left me with the sense that I ALONE can fixed and shape my life. That I ALONE was my ONE TRUE source of power and that focusing on the present moment was the only way to live.  Certainly, there is a tremendous amount of truth in those theories, but it is my belief that it leaves you with many unanswered questions and quite often a sense of disbelief.  How can I possibly NOT think about my past and how can I possibly NOT think about my future? 

The answer is that it is impossible and it can also be quite healthy to think about both if kept in the proper perspective.  As far as the future, I don’t think you can get anywhere in life without goals and dreams.  There must be a plan, a purpose, and a meaningful self-dialog about your mission and how you are accomplishing your goals through your search for significance and purpose.  Deep, right?  Certainly, that is important. If you don’t know where you are going than how can you get there?  The key to finding these answers, I believe, is to carefully plan but to also fully rely on and trust in Christ while you do it. You see, His element of time is quite different from ours and His timing for when we get what we potentially want doesn’t have any correlation to our own time table. This is why we pray, YOUR will be done….not ours.  So going ahead and plan; but TRUST that Crist will finish His work in your life, as its written so very clearly in the good book of James.

On to the content of my final point and the true inspiration I had this morning when I decided to write this piece.  And it revolves around our past.  After all, I’m 52 and many of the folks that read my work are probably at the stage of their lives where they can often get caught up with feelings of guilt and regret about the past.  Here’s the good news (which is actually what the word “Gospel” means) and it lies in the title of this post.  Objects in the rearview mirror are SMALLER than they appear.  Yes, that’s right; it’s actually the exact opposite of what your mirrors state so very clearly on the side of your cars. The objects (mistakes of your past) can be smaller and less important as long as you have the proper perspective.  How do I know?  I have spent countless wasted hours and painstaking thoughts and tears; driving myself insane to the point of deep, deep depression on the items of my past.  Been there?  Thinking about my mistakes, dwelling on the past, wondering what it would be like if I hadn’t done the things I’ve done.  But where did it get me? Where does this process get you?  It’s all about perspective and belief that we can be forgiven and redeemed.  Just look at all of the great characters in the bible. Adam, Joseph, David, Solomon, Peter, and Paul.  They ALL had very spotty pasts, some worse than others.  They were murderers, liars, adulterers, and committed awful sins against God and others.  God chose not only to forgive these great men, but He chose to USE them to spread His word.  He called them into their purpose and they all had the courage and strength to accept this forgiveness and fulfill their mission.  Why should it be any different for you and me?  Have we done worse things that these men?  Perhaps, but my guess is that most people reading this have not.   Most of us just beat ourselves up; trust me; I’ve been there.  Just recently, I fell back into depression; even after knowing the truth as I write it here today.  It’s a process, one that requires purpose, dedication, contemplation and ultimate trust in Him. 

While I was in rehab a few years back I wrote this poem below about this exact topic. I was riding shotgun in a friend’s car and the words in the mirror caught my attention.  A flood of emotions came over me that have consistency with what I’ve just written.  I will close today with my rendition of what it takes to overcome the pain of the past and realize the promise of Gods forgiveness and grace.  Peace and Love, Tony

 

Objects in the Rear View Mirror are "SMALLER" than they appear

 

Why does our past haunt us to the point where we can't forget?
All of our mistakes, our shortcomings; our worries and regrets;

As we fight and struggle to find this light, an opening in our self-made cocoon 

We stay hidden in our lies, justifications and excuses; but all too soon;

We come to realize that we are stuck and inevitably have a hard choice to make

Should we stay here, unhappy, trapped inside our flesh, until we eventually break?

Or do we begin to trust in God, surrender, and turn our problems over to Him once and for all 

Because through Christ all things are possible; He can renew and strengthen us; and help us break this repetitive fall;

And He reminds us that the objects in our Rear View Mirrors have no attachment to His Love and to His Grace

Yes, there are circumstances; but we will overcome those, move on, and eventually find our place;

In the Kingdom of God, not because anything we've done; not a win or a loss

But because of what our Father did for us; sending His only son to die for our sins...on a cross

Romans 8:1

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,