Have you ever caught yourself dreaming of the 'old days', when life seemed a lot more simple and a great deal less stressful? I think nostalgia is a natural thing for all of us, and remarkably time seems to blur the searing pain of our traumatic memories. I guess the trouble with nostalgia is if we end up getting 'stuck' in the past - we are then not free to embrace the opportunities of our present circumstances.
If we take a look at the example of Disciples for a moment - if they had remained stuck in the past (nostalgia), they would have missed the chance to change the future. Jesus had been preparing them for some amazing adventures in the future, which they would have completely missed if their heads had remained turned to the past.
Luke 24:18-24 - "One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
“What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”
May the Spirit of Christ help us to look to the future with renewed hope and a thankfulness for the lessons of the past.
Living in Grace
D3LM3
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