The past

I don’t have clue about stuff: yes it took me 60 years to figure that out. We are in a foreign country, learning about stuff. Yesterday it was the windmills, before that castles and before that the architecture of Amsterdam. Our history, or the past, is full of reasons. Reasons why became the propelling force behind change. The Netherlands were being invaded by groups burning their cities therefore they hurt up a castle as a stronghold and made dikes so the foreigners struggled. Some of their ideas backfired, but then again I have had a few of those. Like when they flooded the land to keep people out…in winter…so they just walked on frozen lakes. Yup, I have had a few of those ideas too. But, then again they had some very good ones..like there are no fences here to keep livestock in. Cows, I can see but I have a feeling some of our horses would think that a simple jump over since these dikes were the only 3 feet wide.

The past can teach us if we will learn. We watched working windmills grind spaces and saw wood. Slowly, but using the wind energy and getting the job done. Windmills that pump the water out of the soil, which was their original purpose, to keep the swamp lands drained so they could be used. Reclaimed land from the sea; that might be a good idea for the cabin since the marsh is now totally under water.

The past is what I treasure and read in a bound book called the Bible. I read of people who had good ideas, great ideas and some of them worked and others failed. What they had in common was a desire to serve the God who created them and set eternity in their hearts. I sat and listened to Psalms 90-94 this morning while the tram rattled by and people went about their morning. “Sing to God a brand new song” it told me. How do I sing a new song when all the songs seemingly sing the same thing. Our modern music is so poorly written both in lyric and tune, that I keep going back to the music that holds my heart. Songs that hold the attention intellectually and musically. Music that is singable and rememberable. ( I think I just made up a word.). I will go to the museum today where Rembrandt’s work is, “Night watch”. What we have discovered by listening to the past explained, is that the night watch was not during the night, it was actually in the day and in a castle or tower that the original pose was made and taken from there. So even the past can be deceiving. I am thankful that God holds the past and His word is always faithful and true. There is nothing new under the sun, and if I have a brilliant idea, someone probably thought of it before. However, when I get caught In places I am concerned about, it’s nice to know that in the past, this happened to someone else. And they either waddled through it or God rescued them… either way, we learn from the past. So how do I sing to the lord a new song, when there is nothing new.? And yet, God’s grace is new every morning? The new song comes from my renewed faith when I see what God has done for me. My new song comes from my new day, with a fresh perspective on God, with a confidence that God will do a new thing in me…today….and tomorrow today will be the past and I can thank Him, and praise Him for a new day…and the circle of faith goes on….past, present, future, repeat….