“What’s done is done; like water over the dam. There’s no use thinking of what might have
been." ~ Ecclesiastes 1:15
For him the country was the safest
place to live, to explore, to create new stories. Though Ken could feel lonely in a crowded
room, he felt entirely at home on the family farm.
He was never happier than wearing muddy boots and his battered,
felt hat. Of course there were chores,
but that's how he got to feel important and know he was needed.
There was time for work and time for play, a perfect
balance. But today was all about work;
his first day on his own, plowing behind Elvis the mule.
A crisp morning breeze brushed across the field. Crickets broke the silence. Edging the plow into the soil, he seized the cold
steel handles and headed across the field admiring the brute power behind such
an amazing animal.
Dad reminded him (for the umpteenth time) before he’d left
the barn: “Plow with your eye on the fence post at the end of the field. Stay focused!
Never take your eyes off of it.”
“How dumb!” Ken thought.
How’re you going to know if you’re plowing straight if you don’t look
back occasionally to see how you’re doing?”
Throwing Dad’s advice out the window he decided to do it his
own way, looking back to admire his progress.
He enjoyed being in charge!
When he reached the end of the field, he looked back eager to
view the results. Instead of the ramrod
straight line he was expecting, he saw what looked like a slithering snake,
with more bends and curves than the Colorado River.
On the return Ken complied, with telling results - the line was
as straight as a gun barrel. Dad had
been right. The row got messed up only
when he lost focus. At day’s end he marveled
at the field of dark, straight rows; another season's promise in the ground.
Paul had similar wisdom when he spoke of placing his focus
on Jesus Christ. When we need, God
knows. When we ask, He listens. When we believe, God acts.
Too many of us try to steer our lives by looking in the
rearview mirror. “If only … “Things ain’t
what they used to be.” "I wish I
woulda or coulda …"
“Press forward,” Jesus said “and don’t look back.” Like Paul, if we focus on Christ, we’ll plow
a dead straight path and accomplish God’s purpose in our lives.
Lord, You are the God of the impossible. You can do anything. I want to trust in Your ability and not my
own. Help me to focus forward and teach
me to see difficulties in my life from Your perspective. Amen
