Earlier tonight I found myself on an Internet rabbit trail. You know how it goes: you look up something, and then you click on something else, and that reminds you of something else, and before you know it you are watching the 2014 Mississippi State versus Auburn football game because you were there with your sister and Mississippi State won the game and went on to be ranked #1 in the country and that particular Saturday was one of the BEST DAYS IN THE HISTORY OF EVER.
That’s a purely hypothetical situation, of course. Except for the fact that every single bit of it is true.
Tonight’s unexpected trip down football memory lane brought so many details about that day to mind: how Sister and I stood in the blazing sun and waited for Dawg Walk, how the umbrella she had tucked in her purse saved us from certain pre-Dawg Walk heat stroke, how we tailgated with my friend Daphne and her family, how Sister got soaked during a second-quarter downpour thanks to the stadium’s no-open-umbrella policy, and how we stayed in the stadium for a solid hour after the game because we couldn’t bear to leave the celebration. In so many ways and for so many reasons, it was an epic afternoon.
And tonight, as I watched and remembered, I realized that there was a little kernel of resignation wiggling around in the back of my mind: That was as good as it gets. There will never be a game as fun as that one.
What is that, y’all? Why are we prone to think that our best, most memorable days are behind us? Why do we sometimes look toward the future with one foot in the past and our hands covering our eyes?
I mean, I’m just as sorry as I can be about bombarding you with a bunch of rhetorical questions, but I think that’s a real thing we do. We get nostalgic about the past—or even the present—and we decide that it’s impossible for the future to be as good, much less better. Sometimes we’d even prefer to live in the past, constantly recounting memories, rather than anticipating what’s ahead.
But, oh, do I ever have some good news for us. When we are followers of Jesus Christ, our best days are always ahead. Always. That’s because no matter what—even when there are tough circumstances in front of us—the Lord is always in the business of miraculous, sanctifying works of mercy and grace in our lives. He is always working out a new and better thing. He is always refining us, shaping us, changing us, and preparing us not just for our futures this side of heaven, but also for the kingdom to come.
“Remember whens” can be oh-so-enticing. After all, I spent almost an hour reliving a football game from several years ago. And although it’s almost always encouraging to remember the Lord’s faithfulness in our pasts, it’s also a true gift of grace to be able to confidently look to the future and know that the Lord has already prepared a way for us. He has already made something beautiful. We just have to walk into it, trusting Him, resting in the assurance that whatever lies ahead will be even better than what we leave behind.
1. To some extent, at least, do you tend to idealize the past? Do you romanticize the way things used to be or maybe even feel sad that you can’t go back to the way things were?
2. What is one life event that you would absolutely, one hundred percent relive if you could? What was so special about it? Explain.
3. Do you ever wish you could freeze time and keep things exactly as they are?
4. How do you generally view the future? With excitement? With a little trepidation? Does it ever make you fearful?
Today’s Prayer