Might-have-beens and what-ifs should be avoided. They draw life to a slow crawl or even a standstill. They are like stepping into quicksand during a trek to a vacation destination; they keep me from peace and rest. Wisdom tells me to start where I am at and with what I have without getting stuck in the past.
Cause and effect are to be expected. “If clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. Whether a tree falls to the south or the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. (3)” Knowing and accepting present life patterns is important. If I learn while in school I expand my skill set. If later I decide I should have studied other subjects I should not remain in the past I should move on.
Paying attention to the present is more beneficial than living in the past. Anticipating the future by observing present events and knowing established natural cycles can benefit me. “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. (4)”
Finally, I should recognize how limited my role is when things turn out not as I had hoped. “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”
Humbly accept and acknowledge the past without dwelling in it. Live in the present and observe natural life cycles while looking and anticipating a better tomorrow.
