Plus there's that whole pillar of salt thing...

"forgetting those things which are behind"

Philippians 3:13

It was hot today.  Very hot.  It might have been close to 100*, but I'm not sure because I avoid looking at thermometers when it's hot.  I don't want to confirm my suspicions that it's hot.  It's a desperate attempt at denial.

Of course, my kids like to poke the (hot) bear by going outside to look at the thermometer and coming back in and saying, "Boy, Momma, you really do not want to know what the temperature is."  Which is sort of like when you're recording some sort of sporting event, and you tell people not to tell you the outcome and they say, "Okay, I won't tell you, but you're going to love it!"  And then you know what you didn't want to know.

It's hard to be in denial when you're well-informed. 

Anyhow, because of the heat, I didn't get as much done today as I would have liked.  Only one load of laundry, although that one load smells wonderful and fresh after hanging on the line.  A little bit of grading, and a teeny-tiny bit of tidying up around the house.  But after lunch I mostly tried not to move too much, and stay in the darkened living room until the sun (and the temperature) went down.

Yeah, that's how I felt...

It's hard not to look back at a day like today with a little bit of regret for not accomplishing more.  But I try very hard in life not to accept any remorse that isn't fully earned.  And today it's not. 

The truth is, God cautions us against looking back either with condemnation, or pride.  Too much self-analysis is too much self.  I was talking with a friend of mine recently who still deeply regrets the choices she made in her life BC ~ before Christ.  She said it just breaks her heart when she looks at her life through God's eyes. 

To which I say:  those aren't God's eyes.  God's the forgiving type.  And I believe that the things that pain us the most are the things that are most forgiven.  If that makes any sense. 

In Luke 9:62, Jesus said, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  It's about being focused.  It's not about who we've become or what we've achieved.  It's not about punishing ourselves or resting on our laurels. 

It's about taking up our cross daily, and following Him.

~ "Therefore, beloved, 

looking forward to these things which are ahead,

be diligent to be found by Him in peace,

without spot and blameless" ~

2 Peter 3:14

~