OnFire #345 Unbroken Rear View Mirror
A few weeks ago I was backing up between
two rows of trees and knocked the driver’s rear view mirror off. I was trying
to be careful, but evidently, I wasn’t careful enough and drifted over too far
on my side. Crunch. The mirror itself broke off and fell to the ground, while
the housing pushed forward and broke in several places. I will need a new
mirror assembly.
My pride was a little wounded, but these
things happen, as people say. No big deal in the grand scheme of things.
I am really missing that mirror, however. I did not have a lot of time before Christmas
break to locate another, and so the task is still undone. In the meantime, I must be extra careful
while driving.
I did not realize how often I check my
mirror. Of course there are the regular times, like when changing lanes or
merging into traffic, but often I look for situational awareness. This is a
good thing – it is good to know where traffic is around me.
I was thinking about this in terms of
Christmas and New Year. At this time of
year we take a look in the rear view mirror, so to speak, to the events of
Jesus’ early life. When Jesus came to us
as a baby, it was as God in the flesh. This personally means so much to me,
with John 1:1-18 being my favourite verses in all of scripture. God came to us,
lived among us, and then died for us. It made such an impression upon my young
life that I made a commitment to follow Jesus which I have honoured for over 35
years now.
And then at New Year, we take a look back
over the past year to evaluate, give thanks, and contemplate the next twelve
months. It was a milestone year in so many ways, with my first marathon,
finishing chaplaincy requirements, and being part of the United Way planning
team. As I look ahead I have some goals in mind, but, honestly, I’m really just
looking for life to even out a little so I can concentrate more on my tasks at
hand instead of running from thing to thing.
It is good to look back. We need that rear
view look from time to time to give us perspective on where we are going.
In this Christmas season, may we find new
joy in the present by looking back upon Jesus. And as we approach the new year,
may we start it with gratitude and anticipation because we have seen and
noticed all that God has already done. In this way we need the rear view
perspective.
I hope this helps. Be on fire.
Troy
OnFire is a letter on faith and character
written by Troy Dennis. Married to Jan, Troy is a chaplain and has more than
20 years of pastoral experience. This letter published Dec 24, 2016. *New
International Version. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or reply, email
onfireletter@gmail.com. Blog located at www.onfireletter.blogspot.com
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