Dried-Up Creeks and the Danger of Looking Back

This blog is written by Mark Morris.

Jay Kristoff once said “ I felt a wave of nostalgia, that sweet poison seeping into my heart, that vain and selfish desire to dwell among glories of the past, when days were better and simpler, when all the world seemed bright, tinted rose-red in the halls of memory. But it is a fool who looks with more fondness to the days behind than the ones ahead. And it’s a man drenched in defeat who sings that sad refrain; that things were better then.“

No doubt nostalgia is a sweet poison. It has the ability to take away the pleasure of today as well as rob us of the joy and hope of a better tomorrow.

I remember many years ago my Dad and I went to visit my Grandpa. During our visit, Grandpa began to share with us memories of when he was a young man and how he would work the fields as a young boy. There near the field was a small creek that ran cool, clear water. His memories told him there was no water any better anywhere nor that was any more refreshing than the water from that creek. As we drove Grandpa to the field where he had worked many years before. He showed us where the creek was. We parked near there and walked up to it. How sad my Grandpa was because the creek he had so many fun memories of had dried up and grass had grown where the cool refreshing waters had once flowed.

Reminiscing, we left the dried up creek bank and stopped at a small ice cream store. There we were refreshed with what was available on that day.

How often we fail to heed the words of the great apostle Paul when he admonishes us to forget those things that are behind and keep our eyes looking forward toward the mark.

It is easy but dangerous for we who are of the sage age to sip from the “sweet poison” of nostalgia. We often talk of how the watermelons were bigger and sweeter, and the peaches always tasted better, and people were more friendly and life was just better in general , we have even heard it said that we had better church services in the good old days.

It’s easy to complain about the music or the atmosphere when we have sipped too much of nostalgia.

We must not allow ourselves to become drenched with defeat and sing the sad refrain of how they were better back then.

This is the day that the Lord has made, and this is the day that he has given us so there is no better day for you and I then now.

Rejoice in this day that God has given you. Give Him what we have left and refuse the poison of nostalgia.