Deacon Mike: Looking back before looking ahead

“Life is divided into three terms — that which was, which is and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present, to live better in the future.” 

~ William Wordsworth, English poet

Each year, in anticipation of the new year, I pour myself a glass of wine and peruse my calendar from the past year. Some people find that a bit strange, opting instead to focus on the year ahead, perhaps to get ahead of the messiness that can easily define our over-scheduled lives.

So why do I look back before I look ahead; it’s in the past now, right? After all, the great English author, C.S. Lewis once said, “You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” There’s great wisdom in that notion, and just imagine how different our lives would be if we all lived by that wisdom, myself included.

Nonetheless, I look back for two reasons. First, as Wordsworth says in the quote above, I need to learn from the past. The roads we’ve traveled have the potential to be the most important teachers in life, if we’re paying attention. When I look back, I can clearly see the patterns of my life: my accomplishments and my failures, my good fortune and the fruits of my labors. When I look back, I can see tender moments, joyful moments, wonderfully surprising moments; but I can also see suffering, sadness and loss. It’s all there in the days of this past year. If I’m going to avoid the mistakes of the past, if I’m going to capitalize on the successes along the way, I first need to learn from it, rather than walking away from it. Our past is indeed a great teacher.

Secondly, I need pray over it and offer blessing for how very clearly God showed up in every one of those calendar pages. God was there with me in the triumphs and the tragedies, in my mistakes and accomplishments; God was right there. And so, before I turn the page on a new year, I thank God for being in my life and for watching over and guiding me during the past year.

I’m not certain what this new year will bring; but I am certain that God will be there with me in every minute of every day.

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When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me and I will change your lot. Jeremiah 29:13

— Deacon Mike serves the Monroe Catholic Family of Parishes, St. Mary Catholic Central High School and Monroe Catholic Elementary Schools. He can be reached at dcnmike@stmarymonroe.org.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Deacon Mike: Looking back before looking ahead