Living Forward Not Backwards

I am a prison guard for the state of Illinois, and last week I learned that walking violent inmates backwards disorientates the inmate. You see instead of thinking about how or when to do the next violent act it forces them to focus on walking backwards not on violence. I have thought about this allot in the last week. What came to mind was Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

So many times we as Christians spend most of our Christian lives moving forward while walking backwards. We walk in an disoriented state. We focus on our failures, we focus on past sins, and most of all we spend so much time worrying about things we cannot change. Instead of reaching our full potential in Christ. We must realize that those things in the past is history and we cannot change it. What has been done cannot be undone.  So as Paul said, we must leave the past in the past, and move forward toward the calling that Jesus has on our lives.

I believe that every if every Christian (most of all myself) would just realize that we cannot let the past dictate our future but allow today to determine the outcome of our future. Just as today's newspaper, it might be today's news but tomorrow's trash. Lets stop moving forward by walking backwards and start living today that we may obtain our prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. So as I walk forward I pray that I will continue to walk toward the high calling of Jesus, by Staring At Lines.

When Words Are Not Enough

I have been going through a rough time right now, and for some reason God has placed me in a situation that has put allot of stress on me. I know that He will bring me through it, but for now I just wanted to shut down. I was so hurt by the situation that I just didn't want to talk. So that night I just held my girlfriend (Julie)  and she did something she had never done before. She said nothing. It really never dawned on me at the moment but while I was reading the book of Job I saw that in Chapter 2 verses 11-13. That Job was hurting over his losses his 3 friends came and sat with him for 7 days and 7 nights and said nothing.

What I realized is that sometimes we say more in silence than we do when we talk. I think that sometimes we talk way to much and what we need when we are hurting is just an ear to hear. We want to know that our friends are here just to let us know they care. Just the fact that a friend is near by is what we need. That having security of knowing that your friends are just a phone call away. Realizing that they are hurting with us.

In fact, when Job's friends do talk. Job says that his friends are "miserable comforters!" (Job 16:2). While they are well meaning, sometimes we just don't want to hear it. Often our friends think they know all the facts, and in reality they only know what we tell them. So most times the advice they give while may be good, if they do not have all the details they cannot give the proper advice.

So, what I am finding out about life is that I still have allot to learn. Things that I didn't know before, I am learning for the 1st time. So as I continue to follow, or stare at the lines of Scriptures. Please follow me while I  am Staring At Lines