Pilgrimage Ponderings
Hindsight
I've been reflecting on how much easier it is to see how God has been working in my life when I am looking back over a period of time than it is for me to recognize how God is guiding me in the present moment.
Why is that? I can remember difficult periods of my life and a sense of feeling overwhelmed by circumstances and unable to recognize anything positive that might be happening. Picture a small boat in the middle of a big storm. There may be blue sky and sunshine on the horizon, but when the big wave is about to crash over the bow, there's not a lot of energy to scan the horizon and see what might be coming up.
And yet, when I look back from my current perspective, it seems perfectly clear to me that God was directing that little boat to the calmer waters, even if it felt at the time like the boat was swirling in circles!
Maybe perspective is the key. When we are in the midst of the storm, the wind and water feel overpowering. When the storm passes and we look back over a shoulder, the storm seems far less threatening. Perhaps because we can see it clearly, or perhaps because we have survived it, the storm seems rather ordinary.
Hindsight really is 20/20.
jc: Agreed, we sometimes limit God with day's off, being overwhelmed, forgetful, etc...'boxing' Him into our own limations and experiences; and forget that the future is as clear to God as the past. Our storms in our lives are for our growth and benefit to help us rely more absolutely on God. (01/23/07)