We never know what’s going to wash up on the beach. In 1992, nearly 28,000 rubber ducks were lost at sea in the Pacific Ocean. A shipping container going from Hong Kong to the U.S. fell off a ship, and the rubber duckies have been free to swim the world’s oceans. For the last 28 years, they’ve traveled all over the globe to places such as Hawaii, the United Kingdom, South Africa and even the Arctic.
In the same way we may never know what’s going to keep washing up from our past. Our kids won’t let us forget that we were never there when they were young, our parents won’t let us forget the decisions we have made when we were a young, our husband/wife won’t let us forget an old bad decision, and on and on it goes. “Therefore, there is now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has SET YOU FREE from the law of sin and death.” (Rom. 8:1-2) Since there is no condemnation we no longer need to have regrets, because, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW.” (2 Corin. 5:17) We must let go of the things in the past, “Do not remember THE FORMER THINGS, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I WILL DO A NEW THING, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
Yes, we will know it because we have, “…put off the OLD MAN with his deeds, and have put on the NEW MAN who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him…above all these things PUT ON LOVE, which is the BOND OF PERFECTION.” (Col. 3:9-10, 14)
-Bill Stockham