What The Past Says About The Future

As much as we look back at our wake, as if we’re travelling in a speedboat looking back, we can, without looking forward, see the direction we are heading in from where we have been. The view backwards gives good vision of the view forward.

We note, as we gaze back in reflection, that the visible past is giving us feedback and we are counselled to listen if we haven’t already.

This is, by our past circumstances, God revealing the truth to enlighten us; so long as we listen objectively.

A Finding For Future Bearing

How might we prove to ourselves, or others, that we are on the right track? We can look to where we’ve been; the attitude to where we are going. This may be quite an unsatisfactory answer, however, for everyone who hasn’t yet achieved what they have set out to achieve. But surely an intent counts for something.

If we are using our pasts properly, gauging the future from our speedboat wake regarding how we are directed, we can make adjustments to our heading based on what we have already dealt with; what experience has shown us.

And the beauty of these adjustments is we are not looking too far back, because our view is limited to the horizon; in other words, we are reflecting, in truth hopefully, on our recent past and using it as a platform for a future bearing.

Not Limited To The Past

This is a mistake we all make. Our subconscious is already looking back at our wake and we are resigned to repeat those things we currently regret because they have become habit.

But we don’t have to repeat the mistake; no, we can choose to nullify the subconscious—our problematic autopilot—if we take the wheel ourselves; allowing a God-informed mind to steer our boat.

It is one of the vast beauties of life that, though we are destined to make mistakes, to fall short, the past is no set recipe for the future. We either accept our pasts, using it to massage our futures, or we don’t accept it, and go 180° in the other direction. Truly, our past is no prison keeping us from accessing the future we desire.

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The recent past is an incredible resource for our immediate future; it is a navigational aid without compare. Otherwise known as reflection, when we habitually engage in it, we stand to grow in capacity to receive God’s revelation, if we look for truth, and such insight also grows our emotional intelligence—how we engage with ourselves and our world.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.