Looking Ahead

The end of the year is always a good time to reflect and look ahead. Having celebrated my birthday this week, it seems appropriate to do just that. This is also the end of a decade - the "aughts" as they have been dubbed.

If we linger too long looking back we run the risk of compiling a list of "should haves" and "could haves." What we did or did not do over the past year is just that - in the past. We can't go back and change, redo or replace intentions with action. It is water under the bridge. One can learn from the past and apply those lessons to the present and future. Looking to the past too long and playing the "what if" game is not the best course. Jimmy Buffett said it this way:

Oh, yesterdays over my shoulder,
So I can't look back for too long.
There's just too much to see waiting in front of me,
And I know that I just can't go wrong.

The best parts of this past year are those that involved the people in my life. My wife, family, my church family and friends all enriched my life. I met new people this year and added new friends. I had to say goodbye to some people as well. I believe we gain our greatest inspiration not from the rich, famous and important people the media tells us to listen to, but from our circle of friends - those who are closest to us.

Visiting places and experiencing God's creation are also highlights of the past year. National parks, trails that weave through the beautiful mountains in our region, two visits to Belize, and other journeys were both memorable and renewing.

My last glance back over 2009 brings me to my son and his wife. Ben and Kris had a very good year. I was able to see him graduate from law school in May and then celebrate with him the passing of the bar exam. They are building a wonderful life together as they grow more deeply in love.

One of the most important lessons of 2009 is to live more for the moment. Living in the present - here and now - has benefits we often miss. I am learning to stop the past and future from harassing me. That is something I hope to build on in 2010.

So it is time to start looking ahead. I have one more year before my sixties. So during this "prelude to the sixties" I have a chance to improve those things I need to improve and let go of some baggage that is weighing me down. I'll look at some resolutions and goals in the next few days. Until then, a few quiet hours before 2010.