More from Cindy Lee

Thank you very much for your valuable and thoughtful comments regarding my previous meditation, “God hears Our Cries.” It is always lovely to hear that our words and experiences can inspire other readers. I am also very appreciative for the meditations I have read in The Upper Room that have inspired and guided me during my faith journey.

Today’s meditation is my fifth and was inspired by the old newspapers my husband found several years ago when he was helping his mother have a home clear out. Reading them reminded me how the past is both fascinating and unnerving.

It’s fascinating because in this case the newspapers reflected pieces of personal history, prices, people, and how society has changed. Almost everyone in the local community in those days purchased a local newspaper, whereas now people read digital editions or look at social media to find out what is happening. The years they were published were a positive reminder of God’s love and how he has blessed me with the strength to overcome challenges at certain times in my life. I can be grateful that God walked with me through to the other side.

However, the past can also be unnerving, because it reflects how precious time is. It is a wake-up call, like a whisper or a nagging inside us that asks, “What have you done with the time you have been given? What are you going to do next?” I think it would be easy for me, or anyone, to spiral into a dark place of overthinking about how time passes by quickly. Thankfully, my faith reminds me that our life is in God’s hands. We can learn from the past, move forward, and strive onward—adapting to change and gaining life experience. I wish you a reflective Lenten journey and a Happy Easter.