Today I took a couple of large boxes filled with IAP files to the shredder. The process of getting some of these files from the cabinet to the box was interesting. First, I had to look through the files to see which ones were necessary and which were not. Some of the files I didn’t even have to think twice about throwing out. Others caused some hesitation before sending them to the pile.

Another class contained history that needed to be preserved. These took some time sorting. Some contained ideas that eventually were never acted upon, while others revealed plans that actually came to pass.  This sparked memories, precious memories. They are treasured because they point to God’s faithfulness and remind me not to give up. Paul said it this way, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Some take-away’s come with today’s task:

• The past is the past; I can’t change it, nor will ever be the same.
• Some of the past needs to be thrown away. There were some letters that revealed heartache and conflict. Things I would have done differently if I could. Did I learn from these times? I hope so. But I can’t change the past, so I need to shred it. Or as Bob Buford put it, “Never let failures live beyond their death.”
• I cannot control the future.  God did not follow the written plans. Many times our timing was not His...so we had to wait.
• Projects are not the end result. Changed lives are. So what should I really treasure?