The layout of our house is such that the kitchen, dining room, and living room are all connected in a circle, which is fantastic entertainment at times for a one year old. So yesterday, I was chasing my daughter around, and around, and around the circle. We must have circled at least twenty times; she was giggling and having a great time and I was getting in a bunch of steps on my Fitbit—win win (until I tapped on it to see my progress only to find out that the battery was dead #fail). There were many times, however, when she would look back at me chasing her, which caused two things to happen: First, it slowed her progress down, and secondly, she inevitably ran into the wall or the cupboard or the fridge because she wasn’t watching where she was going.
I was thinking about how this simple game and her actions illustrate what we often do in life—too often we are looking back at what’s behind us and it slows down our progress and impedes our ability to be more successful. Maybe we even trip and fall or bump into things because we aren’t focused on what’s ahead and moving forward.
This is where I’ve been. I hit a super tough season a few months back—bombarded and overwhelmed—and looking back at what had been. Right about this same time, I heard a new song (to me) on the radio and now I sometimes hear it multiple times a day, but so many times it has played right at the time I needed to hear it. The song is called ‘Tell Your Heart To Beat Again’* by Danny Gokey:
Shattered, like you’ve never been before
The life you knew
In a thousand pieces on the floor
Words fall short in times like these
When this world drives you to your knees
You think you’re never gonna get back
To the you that used to be
(Chorus)
Tell your heart to beat again
Close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of Grace
Yesterday’s a closing door
You don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been
And tell your heart to beat again
Beginning, just let that word wash over you
It’s alright now
Love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So get back up and take step one
Leave the darkness feel the sun
Cause your story’s far from over
And your journey’s just begun
(Chorus)
Let every heartbreak and every scar
Be a picture that reminds you Who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment Heaven’s working everything for your good
(Chorus)
‘Yesterday’s a closing door; you don’t live there anymore’—it’s like my daughter turning around while running to see me chasing her. How many times do we do this in life? It might be a literal situation—maybe a change in jobs or loss of relationship or a move to a completely new city—or maybe it’s more of a figurative emotional/mental challenge where we find ourselves in a rut of negative thinking. In grieving the loss of many things over the past few months, this song (and now my playful daughter) have reminded me to embrace life—to ‘get back up and take step one, to leave the darkness feel the sun. Cause your story’s far from over, And your journey’s just begun.’
In the afternoon we went to the park and took a walk in the woods. This time, though, I wasn’t chasing my daughter; she was happily exploring the trail around to the next curve, and the next, until we made it to the creek, which she absolutely loved, and she kept telling me all about it—if only I could have understood what she was saying! My sweet one-year old is pointing the way, enjoying the journey—as if to say, “See momma? It’s going to be okay.” Perhaps you can relate; will you join me in continuing to walk this incredible journey of love?