This week I’ve left home to attend a writer’s conference in Wheaton, Illinois. It’s being held at Wheaton College, my alma mater, and being back here is a mix of past, present, and future.
Much has changed on campus since I graduated in 1967, but its “bones” remain the same. Two dorms and the off-campus housing of senior year are as they were, and last night I enjoyed a miles-long walk while reminiscing, picking out the rooms I had called home and the places I’d spent so much time. At the end of my walk I sat on a park bench in the center of campus and tried to process it all.
Part of looking back is dealing with regrets. Did I make the most of my opportunities? (no) Was I serious enough about studying? (no) Did I separate from best friends to make time for new ones? (no)
But the past is past, and those books are closed. Instead it’s wise to focus on the present, my reason for being on campus this week. This conference is a place to hone the craft of writing, to meet people who love it as much as I do, and to learn of new opportunities. That turns me toward the future.
Most people struggle to find a good balance between what has been, what is, and what is to be. I think of Mary and all that’s happening in her present. Occasionally she wonders if doing something different in her past might have avoided cancer (no). Yet now she faces a worrisome future.
The Bible speaks to our predicament of wondering how much to invest in our personal past, present, and future. The most concise summary is in 1 Corinthians 13:7 where it says that love bears all things [the past]… hopes all things [the future]… and endures all things [the present]. In other words, it’s ok to dip in and out of all 3 time periods, but when we do, we should put the emphasis on love. What does that mean? The phrase just before verse 7 tells us.
It says that love rejoices in the truth. So we can ask ourselves, what’s the real truth about my past? My present? My future? We can choose to love the good in each time frame and rejoice in those truths, letting God take care of all the rest that might bother us.
That goes for me at the Wheaton writer’s conference this week and for Mary, as she faithfully follows through with the treatment at hand.
Jesus said, “Blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28)
Praising and Praying with Mary
- I’m thankful for a full day with daughter Stina working on wedding plans.
- Please continue to pray about my feeding tube pain, which inhibited my walking today.