See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Song of Solomon 2:11
The boys had an opportunity to participate in an archeology dig recently. My oldest is fascinated with history and digging up artifacts to learn more about what life was like in the past. We thought they would get to meet a couple real archeologists, listen to a talk, and even possibly watch them dig. I was so surprised when we got there and they did explain what they were doing, but then put the boys right to work. There were only a few families there, so the opportunity they had was amazing!
The couple that was conducting the dig was phenomenal with the boys. They were patient, kind, and built up a passion that I don’t think we’re soon going to see leave. They allowed the boys to use their tools, figure out sections to dig, and allowed them to do the digging, unearthing all kinds of great finds. The boys had to be very careful and meticulous that they didn’t miss anything. They worked in a 1 meter wide by 1 meter long section for eight hours! They got to tag and bag their finds, plus they drew the area where they worked. Pictures were even taken to refer back to. The boys enjoyed it so much that we returned in order for them to clean what was found before it was sent away.
It’s unbelievable to me how God knows every bit of us, just as the boys learned every bit of their square they worked on. He cares about the past too. He has compassion for our hurts and disappointments. He has celebrated with us on our achievements. Although what has happened to us previously has shaped us into the individuals we are today, He wants us to live in the present. We should learn what we can from the past, but if we still live in the past, He can’t move us forward into the future.
If something negative has happened to us, but we can’t seem to move on from it, we are allowing that circumstance to control us. The past is controlling the present and future instead of God. We aren’t seeing the rainbow God has straight ahead of us because we’re still looking at the dark clouds behind us.
Just like that archeology dig, the past is for learning and growing from. It’s so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. It’s for gaining understanding and wisdom. Just remember the rains are over and gone. This is the present. It’s for seeing God’s rainbows, not for seeing the mud puddles. We have to go through the rain in order to have the rainbows of the future!
Don’t let the past dictate your todays and tomorrows. Allow God to show you life without the splashes of yesterday distorting your view of today.
