We’ve also had owls take up residence in our back yard. While they prefer to stay out of sight, occasionally we get a glimpse of them. Even though their eyes are in front, we’ve observed them turning their heads nearly 360 degrees. (Makes my neck hurt just thinking about it.)
In contrast to the biological construction of members of the fowl family, we humans have our eyes located in the front of our faces and are anatomically restricted in how far we can turn our heads. As a result, we tend to be forward-looking – focusing on what’s ahead of us. When driving, that’s why rear-view and side-view mirrors are so helpful. We can remain facing ahead and watching where we’re going, while still keeping tabs on what may be alongside or behind us.
For the most part, that’s as it should be. Dwelling on the past, especially painful times, can be self-destructive and hinder our growth as individuals. There’s something to be said about concentrating on where we’re going in life rather than agonizing over where we’ve been. However, there are times when a right perspective on the past can enhance our present and future.
It was American philosopher George Santayana who first declared, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That’s why it’s troublesome when some advocate revising history or even erasing it. Even with its flaws and tragedies, an accurate knowledge of history can help us avoid repetition of grievous errors and heinous sins.
But there’s another reason for having a healthy appreciation of the past. Sometimes life’s present hardships and struggles can only be understood when viewed in reverse. Vernon Grounds, the late American theologian and educator, observed, “Like the Chinese philosopher riding backwards on a donkey, we only understand life looking back.”
Many times during my career as a writer and journalist, as well as being a husband, father and grandfather, things didn’t make much sense while I was experiencing them. But through the lens of hindsight, I can see how those times proved beneficial for me and my loved ones.
As oft-quoted Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Sometimes we wonder, “Lord, how can You possibly use this for good?” His response might be, “Just wait and see.”
In his devotional book Grace Notes, author Philip Yancey states, “What is faith, after all, but believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse?” When we first come to Christ in saving faith, we might take a leap that defies reason. But as we advance in our faith journey, hindsight – being able to remember what God has done in our lives – enables our faith to grow stronger.
Numerous times in the Old Testament the ancient Israelites, an amazingly forgetful lot, were admonished to remember what God had done: freeing them after 400 years of slavery in Egypt; parting the Red Sea so they could escape the pursuing Egyptian army; being provided water, manna and quail to feed and sustain them during their wanderings in the wilderness; receiving God’s laws designed for successful living, and many other things. Whenever they forgot that hindsight can be the best sight, they fell back into their sinful ways.
Perhaps this is one reason I’ve come to embrace Proverbs 3:5-6 as my “life verse.” It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I’ve lost count of the times when I couldn’t understand the circumstances I was going through. But meditating on this passage has reminded of the importance of knowing that through His power and sovereignty, God can straighten even the most crooked path.
I may not have the capacity for spinning my head around like an owl to check out what’s behind me, but when I do pause to look back and ponder how the Lord has worked in my life, it gives me renewed hope and confidence in what the future holds.
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