Face Forward

“Christi, turn around and face forward.” Those are the words I often heard from my elementary school teachers. 

I sat in the middle of class. Not too close to the front. Not way in the back. Just in the middle. The middle where I could hear every sound, whisper, and snicker from behind. 

I was often distracted by those sounds. Sometimes they were also calls for help, for answers, or to repeat what they missed the teacher said. 

Then I would hear the teacher, “Christi, turn around and face forward.” She wanted me to pay attention to her. To what she was teaching. To the directions she was giving us in what to do next. To ignore the things from behind. 

I recently was reading about the Isrealites. The Exodus people. I wondered if I were them, would I have been facing forward or focused on what was behind? 

The Egyptians pursuing. To put them back into slavery and death. For when I think about it, I would have been feeling fearful, anxiety, and doubt. The Red Sea before them. The enemy behind them. A seemingly dead end.

Lately I am hearing God say those teacher’s words to me. “Christi, turn around and face forward.” 

For my gaze has drifted back to what happened two years ago. Words replay in my heart and scenes replay in mind. The death of my marriage. 

Just like the Isrealites were faced with a dead end. I too thought my life was at a dead end. 

But when the Isrealites faced forward, they saw God do a miracle for them. He parted the Red Sea. Dried the land so they could walk across in safety. No more dead end.

God gently says to me, “Christi, turn around and face forward.” He wants me to pay attention to Him. To what He is teaching. To the directions He is giving me; directions on what to do next. To let go of the things from the past. 

For His word tells us in Psalm 32:8, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

God is with me. He knows me better than anyone else. He is instructing me, teaching me, and counseling me. 

To face forward.

To witness what great things He will do next. To see that with Him there is no dead end.

It is hard in this moment we find ourselves wanting to go back to how things were before COVID. We look back and can’t wait for our old lives to return. But maybe God is telling all of us to face forward. To listen to His instructions, follow His leading, and be open to the great things He will do next in our lives. 

I am hoping you will join me to face forward. 

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for gently calling us to face forward. To have our eyes and hearts open to what You are teaching. We trust that you have your loving eye upon us and will guide us. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.