I was preparing a lesson not to long ago and for some reason started to think about Lot's wife. In the Old Testament Lot is Abrahams nephew. Abraham, with Lot, fled the wickedness of their homeland to enter into a land of promise. As I was studying I came upon the one of the shortest verses in the New Testament, Luke 17:32, which reads, "Remember Lot's wife." Jesus Christ is speaking and telling His listeners of His second coming...
28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they
drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
29 But
the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone
from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is
revealed.
31 In that day, he which shall be upon the
housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and
he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
32 Remember Lot’s wife."
I then had to remind myself of the original story in the Old Testament..
17 ¶And
it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape
for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape
to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And
Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold
now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy
mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to
the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold
now, this city is near to flee
unto, and it is a little one:
Oh, let me escape thither, (is
it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And
he said unto him; See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I
will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste
thee; escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither.
Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 ¶The
sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then
the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord
out of heaven;
25 And
he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the
cities, and that, which grew upon the ground.
26 ¶But
his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
The Lord told Lot and his family to flee and to not "Look back". I have been thinking about the idea of not looking back but looking forward. Now, I think that looking back and learning is vital. George Santayana in his book, The Life of Reason, wrote: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Learning from history is crucial to not reprise all the horrific acts and mistakes of the past. I don't think that is what the Lord was telling us when He commands "Don't look back" and to "remember Lot's wife" in the scriptures. I think He is telling us to not look back with our hearts, or do not long for things of the past when the future is ahead and not look back to bring up past mistakes over and over. Lot's wife seem to have an attachment with the past that stopped her from moving forward towards the future. Jeffery R Holland wrote, "In short, her (Lot's wifes) attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future."
Many of us today, including myself, are much like Lot's wife. We look back longingly at the past instead of seeing the bright future that is before us. One of the reasons is that sometimes we can't always see what is ahead. Unlike when driving, we see road signs that informs us of curves, hills, children crossing and milage signs so we know how far we have to go to our destination; life doesn't offer up signs. We are left in the dark to plug along making the best decision we can with the information that is in front of us. No one that I know can predict the future, oh some may try but in the end it the decisions that we make that determine our individual destiny.
Somedays I am overwhelmed with the past. Trying to recreate moments that have slipped by instead of making wonderful memories today that will last a lifetime. Sometimes I worry that I have forgotten to forgive someone in the past - or worse I need to seek their forgiveness. I worry that past misunderstandings will come to light again, that my faults and weaknesses of the past cast a shadow on my life. Most days are filled moving forward and yet everyone has those days when "they look back" and wish for the ease and comfort of the past. It wasn't long before I realized that this was not a wise way to think. It is not a charitable way to view myself or others. If something is in the past, leave it past. We do not need to dig up our own faults and weaknesses or those of others. We repent of mistakes, seek forgiveness and MOVE ON. Jeffery R. Holland said, " God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are going, and with His help, where you are willing to go." That is the real thing that Lot's wife did not understand.
Faith is what I live by everyday. People ask me all the time, "How much longer are you going to be living in Asia?, Are you moving back to Washington state?, Are you going to sell your home?, Where are you going to live?" I have NO answers to any of those questions. I am living one day at a time, by faith. There are many days when I want to "look back" but I am seeing the wisdom in just looking forward and living by faith. It means at times I am walking in the darkness but I know that the lord will provide His light eventually. Answers to prayers do come, in His time and not mine. So I will just keep moving forward, looking back only to remember the love, joy and wonderful memories of days gone past. I will not "look back" as Lot's wife did and desire to go back, to yearn for things past - I will look to the future with FAITH and keep my eyes on my dreams, however distant or far way they maybe. I hold dear the counsel that was given me at age 16 in a special blessing..." Keep in mind the challenging fact that your aim in life is not to get ahead of others but to surpass yourself. Begin today to be the person you want to be."
So I will "remember Lot's wife" and move forward with faith!
Every once in a while I will see roasted chickens just hanging around the supermarket! No need to bag just pull of the string and throw in your cart. Oh and then for the man in your life we have "Mansom" and drink to help your man become more handsome? The snacking isle here always leaves me a bit confused...dried onion snack slices...I am okay with the dried bananas and the dried strawberries but ONIONS. Seriously people will need some breath-mints to go with their snacks. And finally strawberries, a rare sighting in Thailand and no wonder they are 850 Baht for a pound that is quite literally $25.15 per pound in US dollars. Ron we will not be having strawberries anytime soon. All in all March madness was a creative outlet for this crazy creative "Farang". That is a generic Thai word for someone of European ancestry, no matter where they may come from. The Royal Institute Dictionary , the official dictionary of Thai words, defines the word as "a person of white race"
