Rear View Mirror

A metaphor that comes to mind as the old year draws to a close: “2017 is in the rear view mirror.” But is it?
In truth, 2017 is still with us, absorbed into the history and fabric of our lives. The decisions we made, the people we interacted with, the actions we took will not be buried in the past; they will remain to affect the   future—for better or worse. 
2018 will provide new opportunities and new relationships, but it will not erase the old. There is no way to delete the things we have said and done. They are etched in the stone of memory.
If there are regrets, there is still hope. What a new year can give is time. Time to improve. Time to reconcile. Time to change. Time to grow into the people we want to be. 
The gifts of the past are experience and, hopefully, wisdom. For the believer, there is the assurance that the God who carried you through 2017 is there to carry you through 2018—and beyond. He does not change with time nor its events.
So—Look up! Reach out! Breathe in God’s love. Give freely. Know that He makes all things new. The future will outshine the past as you walk in the power of His love.
 
Next Steps...
 I will seek more of God’s power to guide my words and actions in the new year.