Remember the good old days? We love to go back in time and be nostalgic and think about the good times. Were they better than today or have we just forgotten the challenges we faced day to day back then? I’m sure my mom could tell us some of the challenges they faced during the time period this picture was taken in. We lived in Wisconsin in the late 70’s. My dad was a professor at Maranatha Baptist Bible College (now MBU) and my mom was finishing her degree up there. They were raising three active girls as well. My dad was asked to become interim pastor of a church almost an hour from where we lived. Sundays were busy but as a child they were glorious. We’d spend the morning at church then on to the deacon’s farm where we’d play all afternoon before the evening service. My mom’s parents came to visit us, too. Grandpa was a preacher and the stories he had of living through two World Wars and a Great Depression just in his young life! Yet, always he smiled. He also wrote poetry about his hope, joy and love of the Savior. You can find a book he and I co-authored here.
Ecclesiastes 7:10 reminded me this morning of this: “Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these?“
Having a dad who knew history and knew it well, we grew up knowing what the past was like and therefore could compare it to our present world. If you’re a lover of history then you know that every decade brings its own set of struggles and every generation faced their own challenges. Solomon also reminds us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “…there is no new thing under the sun.” Our focus then needs to be kept on our God. In keeping a focus on our God, we will be able to rejoice in Him as our King. Here is a great article about this.
Struggles, joys, living, hopes and dreams are the same the world over and since time began.
Let’s make today our focus instead of looking to the “good” of the past. Remember that if today seems harsh, our focus can be on God for help. Today is a great day to be excited about even the most mundane of things. Be grateful when you feel the pain in your body because it means your heart is still beating and you can still rejoice in your Savior to those around you. Be happy when the washer breaks because it means you live in a time when we have the conveniences we do and this is just a glitch. I always think, “this, too, shall pass.” Life is too short to long for yesterday or even worry about tomorrow. Live focusing on the One Who can solve all problems, large and small and the joy will bubble up within you!
Listen as this group sings a beautiful song about keeping our focus on God. In keeping a focus on God, our passion for Him will increase.
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