Moving Forward, Looking Backward

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! I am so excited to greet 2011 and embrace all that it holds for me and my family. Before doing that, though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to reflect on this past year, remembering it’s beauty and it’s pain. People mistake looking back for living in the past, but the two are not the same. It is wrong to stay in the past, never move on, and hold onto encumbering emotional bondage that can make you feel trapped or keep you from enjoying the freedom that can be yours in the future. It is good and even Biblical, however, to recall God’s goodness in your life, and to think back on the less than pleasant times and thank God for your current freedom.

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago”

– Psalm 77:11

Before you start the new year, look back on the year you just came through. What did you do right? What do you want to improve? What pain did you experience? What did you learn from it? Where did you see the hand of God on your life? Then, take it one step further, and not only remember God’s goodness, but tell someone! There is power in personal testimony, because it is so real and raw and genuine. Let your story bless someone else and help them find God’s presence in their own story.