Forwards or Backwards?

Ah, the good old days.

Those times gone by where things were better than they are today. The former days where life was simpler, where problems seemed to be non-existent or easily solved. A time of bliss and happiness and hysterical anecdotes outnumber the stars in the sky.

This is the power of selective memory. This is the wonder of Rose-Tinted Glasses.

The truth is, that life back in the old days was actually no different to life in the current days. Forgive me for sounding like a grumpy old man before my time, but I've been recently woken up to this reality. That actually looking back is not as helpful as we may believe.

I've been through a pretty rocky patch in my life lately. The last few weeks and months have been particularly challenging for a number of reasons..

All throughout that time, echoes of my time in Geneva were calling me. They reminded me of all the people I had been close to and the good times we had. Stories of fun times and uplifting occasions came flooding back to my mind. And so I made arrangements and visited Geneva earlier this month. I needed a break, I wanted to go back and re-experience all those great times.

What I experienced however was something quite different.

Have you ever tried to put on a pair of old shoes?

Or wear a coat from when you were younger?

Have you ever tried to wear somebody elses shoes?

Or fit into something custom made for somebody other than you?

They Just Don't Fit.

My return to Geneva felt similar. Please don't get me wrong! I enjoyed my time there and it was fantastic to catch up with friends I haven't seen for far too long and be encouraged by how much they've grown and moved on. But that's just the point; they had moved on. I had moved on. We all had moved on from where we were last summer when I left. And now their present is part of my past.

The work I did is now being built upon by a new team [and a great team at that, and I honestly pray that the work they do far outweighs anything I ever did! Dare I say double-portion?!].

God spoke to me loud and clear during my time back in Geneva. The door is closed. I need to stop looking back through rose-tinted glasses and keep moving forward. Yes, remember the friends I have there. Yes, remember the lessons I learnt there. But don't long for something that is long gone. "Forgetting what lies behind, press on".

I'm now moving to London. It's a time of uncertainty and there are concerns I have, sure. But looking back is not going to help me get past the new challenges. But focusing on God will. He has never let me down before and I have no reason to believe He's going to start now.