”I will remember the works of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your wonders of old. I will reflect on all You have done and ponder Your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:11-12 (BSB)
Backward Perspective
There is much suffering surrounding us today. Many face physical and mental health challenges, financial difficulties, exhaustion, and even death. We are a world that is grieving what has been and the unknown yet to come. I’m so very grateful that for now, my family and I are well and adjusting to this new way of life as best we can. My heart aches for, and my prayers go out to those who are in the midst of much more agonizing situations.
There’s no doubt that living in a very rural area has protected me from many of the effects resulting from this pandemic. That being said, it hasn’t stopped me from at times, becoming overwhelmed by worry and allowing my fears to carry me away into a wave of panic. My thoughts have swirled around the safety of my friends and loved ones, the well-being of my daughter who’s expecting, the miles that separate me from my children, mom, sisters, and grandchildren, the growing case numbers in our state and country, and wondering what our future will look like. The list goes on and I’m sure you could add to it! Under the best of times, I have to fight the current of worry and fear, and in these worse times? There’ve been days when it’s felt as if their weight may just pull me under.
Luckily, this week I’ve had a change of perspective and it came in an unexpected way. Opening my post office box, I was surprised to find a note from my mom. Inside the envelope I found she’d enclosed two letters I’d written her in November of 1985, days after we’d experienced a deadly flood. (She’d been “isolation cleaning” and found them tucked in her desk.) As I removed the pages from the envelopes addressed in my own handwriting and began reading the raw, emotional words within them, I was transported back to a devastating time in my life. Those were days where it was hard to speak because there were no words and nights where the only sound was the raging river that made its way where the road once had been. No electricity. No water. No heat. No communication. No way in and no way out. Everything had changed overnight and there we were: isolated.
So how did reliving those heart wrenching, sorrow-filled, scary, uncomfortable months change my perspective? First of all, it reminded me how much better off I am in isolation now than I was back then. Even with the restrictions, I have everything I need right at my fingertips! More importantly though, looking back has helped me remember that as difficult as that time was, we saw God at work in many unexpected ways and received blessing upon blessing in the midst of all the challenges.
Sometimes, a backward perspective can help us move forward.
As funny as it sounds, those words I wrote thirty plus years ago helped me realize that I. Am. Here! Even though the flood of 1985 was something we never expected to experience and at the time, couldn’t imagine what life would hold in the future, I’m now living that future. I made it through! And that, my friends, gives me hope for today! I pray it brings some to you, too! Yes, life changes, but I’m learning that remembering God’s faithfulness in our past can help us trust in His unchanging love now and in whatever the future holds.
I’ve decided to keep my letters where I can see them for a while so that if I find myself beginning to sink back into worry or fear, they’ll prompt me to change my perspective, stand firm, and remember, “I am here!” Thanks be to God!
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
Psalm 103:2 (NLT)
Today’s prompt at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com is “Perspective”. I don’t know about you, but I need to change mine more often than I’d like that’s why I think these old letters have made such an impact on me. If you’d like to read what others have written on the subject, just click over and enjoy! Please know that I am so grateful for your presence here. If you have a prayer request please leave it in the comments and I will be honored to pray for you. God Bless and stay safe!
The person I was long ago
sent a note to me-today,
knowing it had far to go,
but that boy had much to say
’bout keeping faith with the Lord,
and keeping love and dreams alive;
he said I must keeping walking toward
that place ahead where hope could thrive,
although the days might seem quite black,
and despairing words spill out,
me-then would always have my back,
and life would one day not be rout,
for in his youth he somehow knew
the hell I would be going through.
Wow, I cannot even imagine going through an experience like that.
Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past definitely helps us trust Him in the present. David did that when he faced Goliath. He remembered how the Lord rescued him from the claws of the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 13:37).
This is a beautiful post, Cindy! I’m glad your mom found the letters at just the right time and sent them to encourage you. I agree, looking back on the times God has helped us through in the past and the ways we have seen his faithfulness can really help give us strength for our current situation. I was reflecting on this and writing a blog post, which will be published tomorrow, that talks about the same thing!
“Yes, life changes, but I’m learning that remembering God’s faithfulness in our past can help us trust in His unchanging love now and in whatever the future holds.” Amen. Thank you for sharing how God used your Mother and your own words to remind you (and us) of these important truths. God is with us. God is for us. Visiting from FMF.
Remembering God’s faithfulness brings peace to our worried spirits! He IS with us and for us! Thank you for visiting Esther! I truly appreciate it!