Rewind or Fast Forward?

   
“The best prophet of the future is the past.”

The above quote was in a fortune cookie that I recently opened. As I pondered the phrase, I thought about ABC’s new television show, FlashForward, about a mysterious global event that causes everyone to see a glimpse of their lives six months from now. On the FlashForward Web site, the following questions are posed: “What if you saw your future 6 months from now? A glimpse of where you will be and who you will be with. Would you look forward to what was coming...or would you try to stop it?”

My question is: If given a choice, would you rewind back to an earlier point in your life for a “do-over”, or would you fast forward to a preferable future?

If we erase the past or fast forward to the future, we miss out on life, the joy and pain, the celebrations and challenges. Life, without the good and the bad, would be like a year without the changing of seasons. We would not appreciate the blessings that emerge from storms and tests, just like we would not appreciate Spring or Summer if we did not experience the coolness of Fall and Winter. We would take life, family, and friends for granted.

If we erased the past or fast forwarded to a preferable future, we would be shallow, without real substance or character. Life would not have taught us anything. We would not have built any lasting relationships and strengthened them through hard times. If we rewound the hands of time, we might not have the spouse we have, the children we have, or the friends we have. We might just lose it all. Some of you might say, “Good!” However, most cherish those relationships, and would miss out on many blessings if they were eliminated by changing the past.

If the past is the best predictor of the future, then what would we lose if could actually erased our past by pushing the rewind button and recording new memories? Is the preferable future we seek a result of a series of past events that geared us to a chain of actions that sets us on track to the future we want? If you never made that mistake, would you have ever tried that new thing that lead you to where you are today? And better still, would you have a better future if you hadn’t had a less desirable past? How many of us, if never challenged or tested, would ever move beyond the status quo?

Many of us, me included, would like to be able to press the fast forward button on our lives to get us to a preferred future outcome. We have been hoping, expecting, and standing in faith for so many things. We see others around us obtaining things we are hoping for or we are just tired – emotionally tired or just plain old impatient. We want to rush God or life. “Just hurry up already”, we say. If we press the fast forward button, we miss out on the refining process, in which our faith, endurance, patience, and gratitude are strengthened. We do not appreciate the steps, the process, or the pain that was involved in getting to the desirable future. If we fast forward to a preferred future, we skip the steps that prepare us for handling our future blessings. If we press fast forward, we miss out on valuable life moments. We miss out on living and learning.

Imagine waking one morning, after going to bed the night before as a 20-year old, to being a 42 year old, married parent. You have no memory of what happened in the last 22 years. You don’t know your spouse, your children, or anything about your life. Imagine how challenging it would be to relate to your family, to appreciate them, or even love them at that moment. You would have no basis for your relationships or your lives together. For you, there would be no foundation or nothing on which to anchor your life. Imagine how empty and shallow your life would be. Imagine how much you would have to learn to even be able to cope.

The next time you that you wish that you could rewind the hands of time for a “do over” (and erase and re-record), think about the lessons your past has taught you, the relationships that you have developed, the cherished memories that you have created, and the growth, maturity, and wisdom that you have received. Before you think about pushing that fast forward button to a preferable future, think about what is gained in the process of waiting. Your faith and trust in God is strengthened. Your patience and gratitude are developed. And you are prepared for your future blessings!


Jacinta M. Gray,
The Couch Coach