Reliving joys, triumphs and memorable events…
There is a popular Christian song that proudly proclaims,:
Roll back the curtain of memory now and then
Show me where you brought me from
And where I could have been
Remember I’m human, and humans forget
So remind me, remind me dear Lord.
One of the joys of getting older is looking back over one’s life and reliving joys, triumphs and memorable events. When traveling through time, by remembering one’s past, it is very important that the “memory trip” does not lead to crippling regret and disappointment. Many people would love to hit a reset button or get a do over for some of life’s experiences. But that is not how life works. Jazz enthusiasts will remember a tune popularized by the legendary entertainer Nat King Cole, Looking Back. The poignant lyrics declare:
Looking ba-a-ack over my life
I can see where I caused you strife
But I know, oh yes I know
I’d never make that same mistake again
Looking ba-a-ack over my deeds
I can see signs a wise man heeds
And if I just ha-ad the chance
I’d never make that same mistake again
Once my cup was overflowing
But I gave nothing in retu-you-urn
Now I can’t begin to te-ell you
What a lesson I have learned
Looking ba-a-ack over the slate
I can see love turned to hate
But I know, oh yes I know
I’d never make that same mistake again.
Famous cartoonist, the late Bill Keane, whose comic strip the Family Circus, which has been in syndication since 1960, once said “yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.”
When we travel to the past, our reflected-upon experiences should provide us insight into how we should walk in the present to ensure a more secure future in any area we may have fallen short. We may reflect on a love we didn’t appreciate, a job we took for granted, a loved one we wronged or an opportunity we missed. Proverbs 26:11-12 can be paraphrased and summarized as, “like a dog that returns to its vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again.” This is why a trip to the past is often a good thing, if visited correctly but detrimental if visited inappropriately. The reason why we roll back the curtain of memory and reflect on shortcomings, is to reflect on God’s grace and unmerited mercy.
All good things have the potential to be bad if misused or abused. Ice-cream as a treat is great. However, ice-cream as a daily supplement can lead to chronic health problems. So, if you find that trips to the past leave you forlorn, downtrodden and extremely sorrowful, don’t continue the trip. Whether we are “tripping” in the present or past, take heed to Philippians 4:8 KJV, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.”
Elder Jerome Woods, II is the husband of Alana M. Woods and is the son of the late Jerome Woods, Sr. and Larina Woods. He is a Washington, D.C. native and associate Elder at High Calling Ministries pastored by George W. Hawkins, Jr. Elder Woods is a graduate of The George Washington University (1994) where he received his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with minors in Sociology and Latin Classical Humanities. Elder Woods received his Juris Doctorate in 1997 from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
