“But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” [Luke 9:62 (ASV)]
I once met a talented artist from Romania. When she was young, she escaped Communist oppression and immigrated to the United States seeking freedom and education. Her first few years were difficult. I asked her how she adjusted. She replied, “At first I was miserable and lonely. Then I decided that I would never go forward as long as I looked backward.”
I knew I was hearing words of deep truth. In my youth, I had a similar experience. I grew up in the Philippine Islands where my parents were missionaries and teachers at a seminary. When I was fourteen, my father died from a heart attack. We returned suddenly to the United States to settle in my mother’s hometown of Fort Valley, Georgia. I felt like my world had collapsed and I would be adrift forever.
Starting high school, I yearned to return to the small and intimate school I attended in the Philippines. Finally, I accepted that this would not happen. I began to live in the present moment. I had discovered the same truth as my friend.
There are moments in life when I want to retreat to the past. But life loses inertia and vitality when I take my eyes off of the present.
Lord, keep me focused on the tasks for this day. Help me plow a straight furrow. Amen. [Scott Walker from Daily Guidepost]
