"We cannot live our lives constantly looking back, listening back, lest we be turned to pillars of longing and regret, but to live without listening at all is to live deaf to the fullness of the music."(F. Buechner "Listening to Your Life" p.4)
As I read this quote I was reminded of the story of Lot's wife looking back and being turned into a pillar of salt. Once we've chosen to move on, we need to move. Once we feel reasonably certain of a call in a new direction time to face forward, one foot in front of the other.
I do know that when I'm in a rut, or not feeling that optimistic, I do a lot of looking back. What would be great is if I were doing so to grasp a better time. Unfortunately I usually send my looking back and listening back attempting to fix what didn't go right the first time. And indeed I come perilously close to tuning into a pillar of longing and regret.
But whatever those mistakes of the past were, or those longings that can never be fulfilled, I still need to keep listening. There are new songs to be heard. There are new variations on old themes. And sometimes you can still hear a song from your past.
Ears open in 2011? I hope so. Not spending too much time on what could have been, but learning to listen for what comes next.
Blessings,
Ed
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