Photo by Tama66 (Pixabay)

The Steps That Lead To Nowhere

by Carole L. Haines

Our family just loves to visit abandoned places. There are a few really interesting ones near our home. Our son is especially into this, so we go on hikes with him to see these places. He studies up on the history of the places and tells us about them as we explore. It’s intriguing to visit where others have trod long ago. You can almost hear the echoes of voices calling from room to room; it’s like the walls are aching with stories to tell. The places seem to brighten when we walk in, as if glad someone has remembered them and has come to wander awhile. 

One of the most interesting places we visited was fenced off, which was good because the area is an old missile site. As we peered through the fence, we could see a set of steps that led Nowhere—steps leading to where a building had been before it was torn down. This reminded me of how important it is for us to take an inventory of what we invest our time in. Are there steps that lead to Nowhere in our own lives? Are there ruins of things that have long since collapsed that we continue to revisit, climbing steps to Nowhere, causing the pain to rush back in, the scars to throb, and the wounds to pulsate with reminders of what was or what could have been? There is nothing wrong with reflection, but looking back too often is like climbing steps that lead to Nowhere.

There’s a quote I read on the site Godinterest that says: “Leave behind the past because nothing is going to change there, and the more you keep looking back the more you’ll fail to see what’s in front of you.”

I love where the quote says, “Nothing is going to change there.” It’s so true. God is calling us forward. Hear His call:

See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

(Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

“I am the Lord; that is my name!
    I will not yield my glory to another
    or my praise to idols.
⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
    and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
    I announce them to you.”

 (Isaiah 42:8-10, NIV)

We often paralyze ourselves with regrets and “if onlys.” By the power of Jesus, we can set ourselves free. Through His grace, love, and forgiveness, we can walk away from the past that continues to draw us up the steps that lead to Nowhere.

So, stop climbing those steps and move onward and upward. Move closer to the Lord who loves you, redeems you, and promises to work all things together for Good, to those who love Him and trust His purpose for their lives (Romans 8:28).

About Carole L. Haines

Haines has been writing devotions, poetry, songs, etc. for the last ten years on her blog. One of her ministries is to make crosses out of broken glass and pottery and other materials to give to people in crises, such as grieving the loss of a loved one or deep disappointments. The message behind the giving of the crosses and my blog is that God can bring great beauty out of great brokenness. He doesn’t ever waste a tear or a heartache. Our God is a Redeemer, our Great and Mighty Savior, Our friend and our hope. Visit Haines here.