I recently began a sermon with a reference to opening lines in great books. While doing detailed research on the topic (ie, googling with my phone), one in particular caught my eye.
The title is The Go-Between, by L.P. Hartley. The opening line is:
“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”
I’m not sure how that phrase plays out in the remainder of the story, but it’s a message we should consider: The past is a foreign country.
Think of how it applies to every area of your life, in light of God’s mercy and transformational grace.
“In the past I was defeated and discouraged. But the past is a foreign country. I don’t live there anymore. I choose to be in a different place today.”
“In the past I often spoke harshly to my spouse. But the past is a foreign country. I don’t live there anymore. I do things differently now.”
“In the past I put my wants ahead of everyone else’s needs. But the past is a foreign country…”
“In the past I was overcome with resentment…”
“In the past I felt like my life was going nowhere…”
“In the past my prayer life was non-existent…”
Think of how empowering it would be to learn to say: The past is a foreign country. I don’t live there anymore. I do things differently now.
