Back in Time

“Sometimes I just want to go back in time.”  These words have flowed from my husband’s tongue several times in the last months.  Depending on my mood, I am either in complete agreement or somewhat offended by his statement.  (Obviously, if he went back in time, we wouldn’t be married.  Thereby, I felt offended.)

My mind started swirling this morning on the thought of going back in time. I don’t know if it is all the old episodes of the Waltons or the 80’s music that I play while I mop that have me reflecting on more simple times.  My husband and I enjoy re-watching old movies, especially if the plot includes time travel.  (Insert Back to the Future movie night here.)  If such an opportunity was available, to which time would I return?  Hmmm.  Have you ever really considered it?  What is it that we really want to re-live?

If I transported back to childhood, I would be without real life stresses; but, I would have to go through all the struggles of my life all over.  My teen years are probably best left in the past.  The only thing of that time that I would like to re-visit would be my grandmas. I do think that I would like to peek into the times when my daughter was a little girl; again though, I would have to walk the path of single parenting again.  Of course, I would love to go back and spend time with my daddy.  He’s been gone over two years now.

So, why do we want to go backwards instead of forwards sometimes?  I believe it’s the state of the world and the mindset of the people.  I think a trip back to September 12, 2001 would serve us all well.  If you weren’t born or were too young to remember, this was the day after the Twin Towers were destroyed.  The shock and pain of what had happened to our citizens was the topic of every conversation.  We all mourned together and then we all came together.  It was a time of more unity than I have ever witnessed in my lifetime.  American flags were in every yard, on storefronts, t-shirts and cars.  Shirts  displayed “These colors don’t run.” and we were proud to wear them.

Now, look at this country.  It’s painfully sad.  There is no unity.  Our fellow citizens are destroying each other’s property and promoting division.  What happened to our unity in the last nineteen years?  Did everyone forget?  I don’t recall anyone being worried about words like “democrat” or “republican.”  No “white privilege” or “systemic racism.”  Nope.  We were all AMERICANS.  As our police ran into buildings that were exploding and full of smoke and flames, they pulled out Americans.  They were proud to serve and we were proud that they were willing to serve.

“I wished I could go back in time” or “I pray eyes will be opened to the truth.”  Which is it?  The enemy comes like a lion on the prowl looking for whom he may desire.  The enemy uses the tools of confusion, distraction, discouragement, and division to attempt to devour mankind.  Have you ever seen this much division?  Even some churches and church leaders have been swayed by the confusion and have started following the voices of the world instead of the Voice of Truth.

I miss living in an America that honored God and treated each other as a neighbor.  I need to be praying more and complaining less.  Will you join me?  Matthew 18:19 “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

Let’s all agree to pray every time we are about to complain about the world and just see what God does.  Pray for eyes to be open to God’s truth.  Pray for the evil to be revealed instead of hidden.  Pray that we will each seek to know and serve God.  Pray that God will reveal what we each need to correct instead of focusing on what others need to correct.

We can’t go back in time, but we could start living by the Bible like the old folks used to.  “The greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all you heart, your soul, your mind and your strength and the second is love your neighbor as yourself.  There is no commandment greater than these.”  Mark 12:30-31

#proofthatgodcanuseanybody

Beth