mourning the past

“Me and you and a dog named Boo”?

You’ve got to be kidding. I’m officially pathetic.

Pity me as I mourn my youth, as every song from the late 60s and early 70s nearly brings me to tears. Even the stupidest songs remind me of precious memories from long ago. And yes, that includes the classic tune by Lobo released in 1971.

Darn it, I miss that old Boo.

Actually, I miss a skinnier and more energetic Chris, a younger version of me with his whole life in front of him, not behind him. While I don’t miss the acne, it’s depressing to have to pluck hairs that crop up overnight in places where they’re not welcome. Like on and in my ears.

Sorry. Too much information.

Fortunately, the Lord rescued me from my most recent obsession with youth and the past.  He rescued me by reminding me of two things. First, I’m not on this earth very long. Maybe not a pleasant thought, but a fact.

“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”1

In other words life is short, so quit mourning the past and get back to living in the present. That reminder should have been enough, but the Lord must have figured I needed a second push in the right direction.

Not only is my time short, I need to be busy doing His work instead of feeling sorry for myself. After all, Jesus is coming back some day.

“You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."2

So there it is. It’s apparently okay for me to listen to music from my youth, but I can’t let it paralyze me or keep me from being spiritually productive. The past is the past and it’s gone forever. The present is what matters.

Time is short and there’s a lot of work to do. I get the message.

But just between you and me, I still miss that old Boo.

1  Psalm 103:15-16

2  Luke 12:40