Looking Back and Seeing the Hand of God

We’ve all heard the expression before: “Hindsight is 20/20”. We intuitively “get” what it means: When we look back, things that seem foggy at the time suddenly become clear.

Everyone suffers misfortunes in life, from tragic events as serious as a major illness or lost love, to everyday inconveniences like getting stuck in traffic. Many blame their hard knocks on bad luck or just plain bad choices.

But if you’re anything like me, maybe you’ve wondered if there were a reason for the hard things that happen in life. Maybe, like me, you’ve asked, “Why is this happening?” only to be met with silence.

Yet what if those difficult things serve a purpose in our lives, even if it doesn’t make sense at the moment? What if, what looks like an overwhelming setback at the time, can ultimately be something God uses in our lives… for the better?

Remember George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life? It wasn’t until he was able to look back with a little help from his angel friend, Clarence, to see what an impact his life – and the challenges in it—had on the people he loved.

Discovering these insights are what I call, Hindsight Moments™. It’s when looking back at a difficult time or circumstance, the light bulb goes off and you think, “Ah, now I get it… I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am if that hadn’t happened” And, in retrospect, you can see God’s hand at work.

One day, my girlfriend Kathy and I had gone to a local day spa for a little R&R. The Spa was offering free chair massages in the darkened, quiet waiting room by one of their new therapists, Geoff, while we were waiting for our treatments. Kathy decided to go first and I was telling her about the idea of Hindsight Moments. I noticed Geoff, who was giving Kathy her back massage, was listening quite intently.

I asked Geoff if he had ever had a Hindsight Moment.

He said, “Yeah, actually I really have. You see, I’m legally blind. I have a rare genetic condition and lost my sight as an adult. When I was young, all I wanted to do was join the Army. I discovered I was losing my eyesight for awhile, my world totally fell apart. Finally, I decided I need some direction on what to do with my life. I took a bunch of vocational tests and was told that I could get training for three occupations: teaching, sales, or therapeutic massage. I chose the third: therapeutic massage. It soon became much more than a job – it became my life’s passion. I love helping people and the fact that I’m legally blind has increased my other senses. My sense of touch is better and I am more able to help those who are injured or hurting. I would never considered massage as a career had it not been for my injury. Yeah, in Hindsight, I feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing with my life.”

I think we all have Hindsight Moments when we think back and suddenly, something makes sense.  As we share each others stories, we can often see how God has worked in own lives. Do you have Hindsight story you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them! Send them to me at dearkaren@dearkaren.com

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