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Recently I returned to a city that I once lived in for a number of years. One of the main goals upon arrival was to locate the brownstone that I used to live in. I absolutely loved the place and was very sad when I had to leave following a job transfer.

Even though I plugged the address into my navigation system, every street I travelled was now unfamiliar to me.

I was convinced that my surroundings would begin to become familiar as I got closer to the location I was in search of, however, not so. As a matter of fact, when the navigation announced “you have reached your destination,” I hardly recognized the actual building because so much had changed around it.

The parking lot I parked in for years, no longer there. The corner store I spent so much time in, no longer there. Even the movie theatre where I had enjoyed so many films was now gone.

Initially, I was feeling very sad because all the things I remembered had been torn down and new things were in their place. The only thing that stayed the same was the brownstone that I once lived in.

After I rebounded from the initial shock, I began looking closer at the newness that was surrounding me.

Everything was brand new and sporting all the modern conveniences and advanced technologies that anyone could hope for. No more searching for the parking attendant to pay my tab simply put my card in the machine and off I went. The corner store was replaced by a fruit and vegetable market that was filled with some of the most beautiful fruit I had seen in a long time. Everything was fresh, bright and convenient.

I had held on to those memories so long and truthfully I never considered that anything could have changed or even become better.

Isn’t that just like life? Sometimes we hold on to things with no consideration of letting go. Some of us hide in our past afraid to challenge ourselves beyond our comfort zone. Holding on to the past can serve as one of life’s biggest road block.

Where I used to live was great during that time; however I’m not sure I would enjoy it now as I did then. It was the season that I would enjoy then. I’ve grown a lot and now my needs and desires are different. The Lord prepared me for greater.

When I think about growth, I think about 1 Timothy 4:15 “Practice these things; immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.” Progress is a good thing, once you have had the experience and learned the lessons, challenge yourself to higher and greater.

Remember this, everything that you experience in life navigates you closer to the destination that the Lord has for you. You may not recognize or understand everything along the way, but upon a closer look, it will all be clear.