Do These 7 Things in the Spring

1. Plant a shiny faced flower or two so a ladybug can nestle in and take a nap.

2. Get sand between your toes at a park, the beach, or in a child's sand box.

3. Open the windows and listen to the amorous birdsong outside as you watch the unfolding drama of courtship take place.

4. Take a bike ride and deliver kind salutations along with a dapper smile to the people you pass.

5. Bury your nose in the blossom of an orange, lilac, or daffodil, then pick it and give it to someone you love.

6. After cooking up something scrumptious for dinner on the grill, eat a popsicle or ice cream cone and lick the sticky rivulets dripping down your fingers. 

7. Wear a big hat and glasses to protect your delicate skin from the glorious sunshine.

His bright glory fills the whole earth.  Isaiah 6:3 (MSG)

Adjust the Rear-View Mirror

Nostalgia and I are friends. We back up to the drive-in movie together, and watch a rerun of my teen years in the rear-view mirror. A simpler time unfolds behind us. It was a time when encouragement was heaped on me for my involvement in the church youth group.

I had a lot of responsibility for my age. I was on the worship team, and led small group bible studies. My relationship with the Lord was strong and growing. The staff in my youth group loved the Lord. They were invested in our spiritual growth. That was then, and it was a wonderful season in life.

My past is stitched together with joy. Positive experiences are stashed deep in my pockets so I don't forget. I pull these recollections out when life gets rough. 

But this singular focus causes me to coast through my positive past to a lukewarm stop in my present faith. When I cling to the animation of the past, my hands are stilled. When I focus on the replay, my gaze is averted from what God has in store for me up ahead. 

“I never look back, darling. It distracts from now.”
— Edna 'E' Mode-The Incredibles

This is now. I don't want to sit in a parked car, and look in a rear view mirror, with my hands in my pockets.

Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already-you can see it now!  -Isaiah 43:18-19 (GNT)

I can focus on the future when I don't give the rear-view mirror too much attention. Better yet, I'll move to the passenger seat, and let the One who knows my future take the wheel.