The Importance of Reflecting

Paddleboarding is one of my favorite things! I love the peacefulness of being on the water, and the feeling of the sunshine rays reflecting off the water and hitting my face. Sometimes I get a little lost in the moment paddleboarding out, that I don’t give much thought to the fact I will have to paddleboard back in…. (and my luck, the wind is usually against me on the way back in) ​

Recently my friend and I set out on a paddleboard journey. We were determined to make it to an elusive waterfall along the lake’s edge, but knew that it would be a bit of a distance. After a multi hour long paddle journey, we finally made it to the destination, and it sure was worth it! However, after enjoying the waterfall, we both realized that we had a heck of a trek back. We started our journey back to shore, but somehow it felt like as much as we paddled, we were not making much ground. We got to a spot where we had to cross the lake, and it looked like such a far distance ahead. I kept paddling and paddling, but it felt like I was not making any progress at all. 

But then, I looked back. I looked back at the other side of the lake where I started, and I suddenly realized I actually had made a lot more progress than I thought. Sure, I was not across the lake yet, and I still had a long way to go, but looking back gave me that different perspective that I needed to feel encouraged in my journey, and refreshed to keep on trekking.

Sometimes, we need to look back to gain a different perspective. 

How often do we find ourselves looking ahead to all of the areas in our life that we don’t see God working…that we forget to stop, look back, and see what great things that the Lord has done in our lives. It is so easy to look forward, and feel discouraged. It is so easy to look at the areas of our life that we don’t have victory in yet, and feel disheartened. It is so easy to look at the seemingly unanswered prayer requests, and lose hope. It is so easy to look at the daunting battles in our future, and feel overwhelmed. 

But what if we looked back every once in a while, and reminded ourselves of the great works the Lord has done in our life up to this point. Then, we would be reminded of all the victories that the Lord has done in our life. We would be reminded of all the prayer requests that the Lord has come through in unimaginable ways. We would remember how the Lord strengthened us and uplifted us through the seemingly impossible battles in the past, and that He has never let us fail. And maybe most of all, we would be reminded of the Lord’s great love for us, and

remember that never once in the history of our lives has He ever left our side.

Looking back gives us the different perspective that we need in our walk with the Lord to feel encouraged in our journey, and refreshed to keep on trekking. 

If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, or discouraged in your journey with the Lord today, take a moment to pause, look back, and remember the great works the Lord has done in your life. 

Psalm 126:2-3 ​​ 
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
    our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are filled with joy.
New writing so wanted to share! 

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