Call of Duty: Black Ops came out today and Twitter and Facebook were all abuzz. I was even reading tweets from people waiting in line for a midnight release so they could play it as soon as legally possible. As I laid down to go to sleep an hour before the game released at midnight, I realized that I’m not in my early 20s anymore and my life is significantly different than it was at the turn of the millennium.
In 2002 I would have been standing in line at midnight, waiting to get my hands on the newest and greatest video game. Even three years ago when Halo 3 came out, I was standing outside Gamestop until midnight, waiting to get my hands on Master Chief’s final fight. Now, though, with a career and a wife, those days seem so far away. The days of 5 hour gaming marathons that begin at 10:00pm are long gone; that’s just not my life anymore. And even though I love my life now, when I see a bunch of 21 and 22-year-olds staying up late playing video games, it makes me think fondly on that part of my life.
There’s a difference between thinking fondly on a period and attempting to recreate that period. When we try to recreate a period of time or a season of our lives, we end up neglecting our present for a past that can never occur again.
I often feel this way about ministry.
Six years ago I was in the middle of an amazing season of ministry, working alongside some of my best friends and making a difference for God’s kingdom. That was an amazing season but it’s gone; it can never happen again. And instead of thinking about those days and trying to recreate them in my current ministry context, I need see what new thing God wants to do today. I’m on a great team and God wants to use us to make a difference for his kingdom. Why would I hold onto the past when God has an amazing present and future already laid out?
What part of your past do you think about holding onto?
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The last few years are some of the only good seasons in my life. I really don't think of holding onto much of my past. For me it's in a few years I might be looking back on these ones.
ReplyDeleteMaybe sometimes reflecting on how things came to fruition in the past can provide some great intel on how certain things can be achieved in the present though!
And your not an old man yet, but you sure are workin' on it.