"Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:32-33
Wow! What a warning. I have felt a lot like Lot's wife this week. I must admit that I have spent most of my week looking back instead of looking forward.
This week Kellye finished 17 years of a successful teaching career. John-John and Hannah both had their last day of school in Clay County. And I spent the week working professionally with the first television production student I taught in Clay County-- a relationship of 10 years. Looking back was easy. It was fun. A lot of times it made me smile. But looking back was hard because it diverted my attention from what my real focus should be...looking forward.
As I looked back this week I had many thoughts. But some of those worst thoughts were of how hard it is to let go of a life that has been comfortable. Not always easy, mind you. But comfortable. This week my professional career continued to exceed some of my wildest expectations. For the first time since I started Lighthouse Video, I am getting the kinds of jobs in corporate video that I have always wanted. I am getting to travel the country, see different cities, work with fun and interesting people, stretch myself creatively, and I have had a blast doing it. But while doing it, my focus has been more on what I am leaving behind than what God has for me in the future.
I think many times I (and I think I can say 'we') sell Satan short. It is easy to blame him when the rocky parts of our lives come along. The quick answer is always to say that Satan caused hardship to happen, or that bad things happen to good people because Satan is involved. However, we have to be careful not to limit his arsenal. Eve didn't take the forbidden fruit because it looked like something that was going to be bad for her. She was tempted in the first place because the serpent made it appear that the fruit was something that was going to make her life better. Lot's wife was no different. She looked back because she longed for the people, places and things that she was leaving behind. She didn't want to leave the life that she knew. Life there was easy, comfortable and fun. What was in front of her was filled with the unknown. Where will they live? What will they eat? Will they speak the language? Gosh. All those feelings sound all too familiar.
Looking back can be good sometimes. It is good to remember where we have come from so we can appreciate what God has done for us. However, it is important that we be reminded of the lessons that God has provided us through Lot's wife. We must keep our eyes looking forward. We must concentrate on the good that lies before us rather than the people, places and things that we are leaving.
Here's the thing. If I spend the next 71 days concentrating solely on what is behind me then I too will be stopped dead in my tracks, never moving forward or back and never finding out what great and wonderful things that God has planned for me. (That was more of a reminder for myself than it was for anyone else reading this.)
I know that Jesus said that we should be "salt and light", but I seriously doubt that is what he had in mind. :-)
Please pray for our family in the weeks and months ahead that we be able to concentrate on the road that God has before us rather than the life that we are leaving behind. Also, please pray for our other friends who are experiencing similar feelings as they prepare their families for the mission field as well. You will see these names many times in blogs to come, but pray specifically for:
~ Robert & Elaine
~ Matt & Tara
~ Bryan & Gina
~ Ryan & Emily
~ Stephen
Many blessings,
Marc
