Don’t Let What Happened Keep You From Moving Forward

The other day, I started the day reminding myself of what is truly important. What is actually valuable in this world? What does God say is valuable?

Then, before the day was over, I was given an opportunity to live that out.

As my wife and I were heading down to the coast for a short getaway, the front tire on our RV bus blew out while we were driving down the highway. The bus went off the road, and for a few terrifying moments, I didn’t know what was going to happen.

My wife had just gotten up and gone toward the back of the bus. I was seat-belted in. She wasn’t.

As I fought to maintain control, all I could think about was her. I kept yelling, “Hold on! Hold on!”

I was scared.

Not because I was thinking about the bus. Not because I was thinking about how much the repairs were going to cost. I was scared because I didn’t know if the bus was going to flip or roll, and I didn’t know what would happen to my wife.

But God protected us.

The bus was damaged. We were shaken. But we were okay.

When everything finally stopped, I hugged my wife and told her how scared I had been that something was going to happen to her. In that moment, the value of that RV meant absolutely nothing compared to the value of the woman standing in front of me.

That is perspective.

The bus can be repaired. It can even be replaced.

My wife cannot.

Once the tow truck came and the bus was taken away to be repaired, we had a decision to make.

We could pack everything up, go home, sit there and dwell on what had happened.

Or we could recognize that we had done everything we could do, turn over what we couldn’t control, thank God for His protection, and keep moving forward.

So that’s what we did.

We continued down to the coast and spent our time together. It wasn’t exactly the getaway we planned, and it was shorter than we wanted, but we enjoyed the time God had given us.

And I’m thankful we did.

Too many times something happens in our lives and, even after the event itself is over, we allow it to continue taking from us.

It takes our peace.

It takes our joy.

It takes our time.

It takes moments with the people we love.

There are things we have to deal with, absolutely. But there are also things that are simply outside of our control.

Deal with what you can. Give God what you cannot. Then keep moving forward.

Job lost possessions, wealth, family, and health. He struggled. He questioned. He grieved. He didn’t understand why these things were happening. Yet in the middle of devastating loss, Scripture records:

“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
— Job 1:21 NKJV

That doesn’t mean we pretend something wasn’t frightening.

I was shaken.

It doesn’t mean we don’t grieve a loss or deal with the consequences.

It means we refuse to allow what happened yesterday to steal what God has given us today.

Sometimes an unexpected event reminds us very quickly what is truly valuable.

It isn’t the RV.

It isn’t the house.

It isn’t the car.

It isn’t the possessions we spend so much time worrying about.

It is God. It is life. It is the people He has entrusted to us.

So when life suddenly goes off the road—and sometimes it literally does—remember where your foundation is.

Thank God for what He protected.

Handle what is yours to handle.

Trust Him with what isn’t.

Love the people He has placed beside you.

And then…

keep moving forward.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV

— Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org