Rear View Mirror Driver

The rear view mirror in your car can be a rather handy thing. You can check your make-up or see if there is food in your teeth. You can keep an eye on your kids in the back seat and stay aware of things happening in the road behind you as you drive.


One piece of advice though, as a mom who has taught three of my own kids plus three foster kids how to drive, it is not recommended that you look too long in the rear view mirror. The reason would seem rather obvious. When you are driving down the road, it is much more important that you are aware of what is going on in front rather than behind you. If you let the things you see in the rear view mirror distract you too long, you could experience disaster in front of you.

My husband always tells people that your past is only good for one thing, to see where you've already been and what you've learned. One of our favorite verses in ministry has been Isaiah 43:18 & 19. I like how it is phrased in The Message.

"Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?”

Too often we drive through life staring in our rear view mirror. We beat ourselves up for things we messed up, or we make excuses for our inability to drive forward because of things that happened to us in our past.


I've found that so many people have in some way been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused. Sad to say, it is not an oddity anymore. While I know it is difficult, we can’t let that past wound and cripple us, and make it impossible to drive forward.


Our past may play a large part in who we are and how we respond to things, but we can’t let it rule us. The NIV phrases it; "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.”

“Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?”

Do you beat yourself up over things you can’t change? Do you find yourself dwelling on your past to make excuses for your present? That would make you a rear view mirror driver.
Turn your attention to what is going on in front of you…and be blessed.

Surviving the Wild

I discovered if you search in google images for "bus towing a car", you'll find a picture of our bus/RV towing our little Suzuki. Pretty wild, huh? When we see this picture it makes us long to be on the road. The adventure of traveling, connecting with friends, ministering in churches...the call of the wild. Or should I say the wild call of God on our lives?

The reality of what God has called us to do, and the steps of faith in which we take towards that goal, makes my heart race wildly. I don't like roller coaster rides at all, and the one we are on as we prepare for the next season of ministry, is full of twists and turns. It is a wild ride for sure.

Being in the wilderness can be very scary. It also can test your skills and ability to survive. I remember when our son, Jacob, was heavily involved in Royal Rangers and Frontiersmen Camping Fellowship (FCF). He thrived on the survival knowledge he learned; from how to use a compass, build shelters, start fires, and even which plants to eat. He had a keen sense of awareness and I trusted his instincts completely. I told him I would have no problem being lost in the woods with him. I knew he could take good care of me and we would survive the wild.

I'm sure you've seen news stories where people survived experiences of being lost in the wild. They have a story to tell, and the public longs to hear it. People are intrigued to know the details; what they were able to eat, where they hunkered down, and how they tended to their wounds.

We feel lost in the wilderness right now and even have the wounds to show for it.

Our bus is wounded.

We had some severe water damage last winter that caught up with us. Dry rot, ruined carpet, black mold... you get the picture. It needs floors replaced, paint, and who knows what else? Mechanically speaking there are issues as well, including two batteries to the tune of $225 each.

And now, in the process of caring for the bus and preparing it for a new season of ministry, Les is wounded.

On January 2nd, Les was readjusting the heavy-duty tarp over the roof of the bus to protect it from further wild winter weather risks. He slipped off the roof while reaching for the ladder, smacked his head on the roof of my mom's garage, and was knocked unconscious before he hit the ground 12' below.

Bruised ribs, mild concussion, and a broken arm later...we look towards our survival story.


It has been said that you don't receive a miracle until you need one. Surviving the wild is indeed a miracle.