Fast Forward

The fast forward button on VCRs has spoiled us. The “skip” button even more. When we get bored, when we’re anxious for what’s next, when we want to skip over something that makes us uncomfortable, all we have to do is push a button. It’s like time travel almost. Hit the button, and you’re there.

As a result, we have a patience-handicap. We tend to want to push fast forward in life; we want to skip ahead to the next track, avoiding the things that aren’t scripted just the way we want them to be.

But we don’t have this option. We can either sit stirring, fuming, scheming about not being where we want to be, or we can enjoy where we are on the way to where we’re going. We can either look for ways to rush ahead, plot out the future, and dream about all it could possibly hold, or we can look at the blessings that are right in front of us, in the mundane moments of life, in the stages of difficulty, in the journey of desire. But we cannot hit “skip.” We cannot omit time. It must play its role in shaping us, a role that the God of Time understands much better than any of us.

There’s a country song that was released not too long ago that has been reminding me of this message over and over. Its lyrics frequently visit my thoughts and alter my thinking.

You’re gonna miss this
You’re gonna want this back
You’re gonna wish these days hadn’t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you’re gonna miss this

(Adkins, Trace. “You’re Gonna Miss This.” American Man, Greatest Hits Volume II. Capitol Nashville, 2007.)

Each verse of the song holds a glimpse of a girl at a different stage in life. Each time she is wishing for the next stage, the next stop on her journey. In the first, she is a young girl who can’t wait to be an adult. In the second, she is a newlywed, hoping for a bigger house and some kids. In the third, she has young children who are screaming and crying. In each stage, her eyes are always fixed on the future, neglecting to gaze upon the beauty of today.

Let’s not do that. Let’s not waste the present. Let’s not neglect its wonder, its opportunities, its gifts. Because we’re gonna miss it. We’re gonna want it back. We’re gonna be glad “fast forward” wasn’t an option we had.

So “stare” at your life today. Gaze at the people you care about, the ones you work with, the ones you live with, the ones you love. Bask in the splendor of time – a concept so ordained by God that it can’t be manipulated, changed, or skipped by man.

Remember the movie “Click”? Adam Sandler’s character was given the power to fast forward time, to speed through the moments of his life through the use of a universal remote control. And it led to chaos not control. It fostered regret not satisfaction. He sped through life thinking he was hitting all the highlights, but he missed the greatest thing of all – the passing of time, the simple moments, the scary ones, and the bonds they form between us and those that we love.

So while fast forward may be a great option when watching movies, it’s not when living life. Don’t be fooled by your remote control.