Moving Forward

How are your plans?  Or your day to day life? Do you look ahead – focus on the future? Or, are you constantly looking at the past?  What you did wrong?  Or what you couldn’t do?  You were created to move forward – so stop looking behind you.  

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant… Robert Louis Stevenson

I recently read a great devotional called – You’re Not Finished Yet.  Simply Fabulous!    

The author talked about the Australian coat of arms – her country of origin. Their coat of arms holds a special and important meaning.  On it, there are two animals – the Kangaroo and the Emu.  They are both native to Australia, however the reason they are on the Australian coat of arms is because they were created to move forward.  

The Emu – is a bit smaller than its cousin the Ostrich – (also nonflying and known for speed) but, it cannot move backwards.  It can leap forward 9 ft in a single step when running full throttle – but unable to walk backwards.  How amazing is that?

The Red Kangaroo – moves by hopping forward.  This motion is called Saltation – which actually means to leap, however, like the Emu- it cannot move backwards.  

God created them to only move forward in life.  Since people are made in the image of God – we were designed to also move the same way – forward.  

From time to time, we do need to step back and remember the past in order to move forward – memories can be healing and heartfelt, but God picks us right back up and carries us to the next step – forward.  

In some seasons, we move forward rapidly.  In other seasons, it can be slower.  We can even sometimes get stuck in a ‘pause’.  When this happens, do you allow yourself to get ‘stuck’ in the past? 

Past hurts?

Past troubles?

Past frustrations?  

Or, do you continue to step forward to the future?  

We can’t change the past, but we can affect the future – going in the direction God has planned for us – forward.  This is similar to a recent posted blog of mine – The Windshield Is Better.  Moving forward keeps you dreaming and learning.  It can give you vision and purpose.  Most of all, it can make you happier.  

You are no different than the Emu or the Kangaroo.  You were also created to move forward and shine the amazing purpose of your own coat of arms to the world.  So, go and be like those amazing creatures and plant your seeds of your amazing future.