I love to go for drives…one of my favorite drives is in the mountains. Nothing compares to the scenery! I find myself looking not just in front of me but often glancing to see what is off to the sides. There is always so much to take in! We all know that we are to glance in our mirror from time to time to be aware of our environment…but we know that when we do we might miss something ahead!
When we look back we miss what’s in front of us
If we would spend all of our time looking at what’s behind us, we wouldn’t just miss what’s ahead, we would not be able to proceed forward! If we did, we would not likely make it very far.
Funny thing is that we often do this in life. We are so concerned about the past, dwelling on what happened yesterday, that we miss the beauty of today. Much like in the car, it would be impossible to move forward when only looking back – in fact it would be disastrous. If we spend more time looking behind us, we miss out on the blessings of today.
The flip side is if we totally disregard the past we will not learn from past mistakes. We would not understand the effect the past has had – both good and bad on our lives. We would not be the same person if we totally ignored the past.
Just like driving, looking in the rear view mirror helps us be aware of our surroundings. A wise driver will look back every so often but not stay there.
How about you? Where are you looking?
Are you stuck looking in the rear view mirror – unable to move forward? Are you forgetting to look in that mirror altogether maybe because of something painful you would rather forget?
Being a healthy person means we take the time to see the past. We are willing to learn from it, deal with the hurts, delight in memories and be thankful for all that God has done. It also means to be willing to move beyond it. To embrace the present – really embrace the moments God has given us. It also means to hoping for tomorrow, knowing God has our tomorrows in the palm of His hand.
Everyday leaders work on this balance – to be our best selves. To be able to move forward, making a difference every step of the way.
The Every Day Leader 
Thank you for reading the blog.
Great post Cathy, it was Brother Lawrence’s book that spurred me to think about living presently and being aware of God’s presence at all times. I love the rear view mirror analogy because it is so common to all our life experiences.