Hindsight is 20/20

One day he and his disciples got in a boat. "Let's cross the lake," he said. And off they went. It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"

   Getting to his feet, he told the wind, "Silence!" and the waves, "Quiet down!" They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.

 Then he said to his disciples, "Why can't you trust me?"

   They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, "Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!"

Luke 8:22-25 The Message                          

If we only knew today, what events were going to occur because of bad decisions made, would we have made different choices in our lives?  I often ponder over the many decisions I chose throughout the past twenty years.  Some were good but many were bad.  Those bad I must now take and learn from those mistakes. 

Life is full of choices.  We are not given a clear road map as to which direction to go or even which turn to take.  We see a path before us, it may look clearer than another may, and we choose to follow it.  Then hindsight steps in to confirm our deepest fear, which is that not one of the paths was correct. At the time, we were to sit and rest for a while waiting for the right path to be presented. How confusing.  No wonder we end up lost. Right?

God has such clear direction for each of us.  He wants to make that map readily available.  He may not allow us to see the entire journey or our destination but I believe He does allow insight.  He does give direction but only when we ask and seek after His will and not our own. Without seeking after Him, we are destined to become lost.  We are surely to find ourselves off course from His clear plan. 

It is not as easy as it sounds I know.  We pray and ask for divine intervention or a clear answer and are often times given neither.  That in fact is the answer though.  Throughout the course of my journey, I have often jumped the gun only to choose a path without clearly receiving the go ahead from God.  There was a fog ahead making the road unclear and so I assume He is not answering or directing and I make a rash choice out of fear.  I’ve learned the hard way that these kinds of movement causes complete confusion and chaos. 

I am learning that God often tells us to pause or to sit down and take a breather.  I am learning that He knows where the road leads and it is His job to prepare the path.  This allows me to navigate in such a way that my choices bring Him honor and glory.  This cannot happen if I am moving at my own pace.  It can also not happen if I am stuck in my past. 

Back to hindsight.  When coming from a broken past because of choices made, the tendency is to become lost in the identity of who we once were and the things once done.  The truth of the matter is that choices made cannot be undone.  Once made, they are set into motion.  However, those bad choices of the past do not define who you are now.  Instead, the ability is given to evaluate past experiences and choices in the light of who we are today. I have learned that I am a product of Christ’s work upon the cross. I have come to recognize that I am no longer a product of my past and no longer in bondage to the torment from mistakes once made. Certainly, there are those to remind me of my bad choices. I have learned though that people who have not experienced the freedom of walking with Christ or who may not have found their way out of a dark past fail to understand God's gift to us all. They too are in bondage to the lies that they believe about themselves and God.  This is where I have learned that I must acknowledge truth and allow truth to set me free.  It is recognizing that Truth is a person.  It is seeing Jesus as my Truth and provision.

It is all about perspective.  It is recognizing He is in my life.  It is recognizing who I am today because of Him.  It is knowing that God has been with me every step of the way, loving me enough to send His Son to redeem me and free me from my past.  Hindsight is 20/20 but finally understanding the work that God is doing in your life, discovering His clear path and direction and walking in His ways and not your own, will bring a freedom where hindsight no longer matters because you’re walking ahead with a new purpose and faith.