Time Travel

I’m sure that most of you enjoyed some great family times this Christmas. At least I hope you were blessed in that way. At one of our extended family gatherings this Christmas, we were playing a guessing game. We had to listen to theme music clips from television shows and guess the show. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. It was great.

In the midst of this smorgasbord of memories, my brother in law Dan mentioned that his favourite television show of all time is ‘The Andy Griffith Show’. I could hear my wife agreeing. And, to be honest, my own heart skips a beat when I hear that whistle… see those freckles… fishing poles …

Why do you think it is that some of the old shows are so special to us? I know that for some of us, the great feeling of nostalgia is a huge part of it. But I think there is something else. I know that for me at least, old television programs hold a special place in my heart because they take me back to simpler times. Some of the most popular old shows are set in time periods long before any of us were even born. No nostalgia at work there!

They weren’t easier times. Anyone who thinks so has forgotten more than they remember, didn’t live in them, or hasn’t read their history. Bygone days had more than their share of hardships. Void of all modern convenience and medical advances, they were tough times.

But they were simpler times. And in a world where things move a little faster and faster every day; a world characterized by constant change that becomes more and more rapid; a world where everything seems to get more and more complicated and where things become more and more unfamiliar to us, there is something, oh so desirable, about a trip back to simpler days; the days of yesterday. (I feel a Beatles’ song coming on!)

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the kind of person who tries to live in the past. I embrace change because I know I must and I refuse (God help me) to bury my head in the sands of time. But there are times when we all need a break, and once in a while, it sure feels good just to take a trip back in time and rest in what we know well.

Just before we launch into a brand new year filled with opportunities, as well as the many frustrations and challenges that are sure to be a part of it, maybe God would grant you just a little more time to really take a break. And maybe it would be a good idea for you to grab an old movie or an old show that really takes you back. Maybe grab a couple or three of them. And take a trip. Make it a real vacation. Take a breather. Put your feet up. Go ahead. Live in the past for a while. It’s OK, there’s some good blessings there. Dive in deep. Don’t just watch it, live it. Master the simplicity of it. And I hope you will return with a rested spirit, a renewed passion for life and a whole new sense of determination. Because, sometimes being able to take a step back (in time?) and see life consisting of its more simple elements is exactly what we need in order to then move forward with the kind of conviction and resolution that is really needed to meet the challenges we are going to face in the future.

I think it has the potential to be a really great year. What do you think?