History

“This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, 'Who put you in charge of us?'  This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer.” (Acts 7.35)
Prospectuses warn that past performance should not be considered as an indication of future performance.  The fact that one has scored repeated goals in any sport does not automatically mean that they will score one in the moments to come.  Just because everything worked yesterday does not imply that things are going to work today.  We seem to know that moments in time are unique and yet, we keep hoping, prayer, and acting as if it might not be a consistent truth in life.
History tells us many things, but it cannot tell us how to live in the present.  Life's lessons are useful, priceless, and often squandered, yet they cannot make decisions for the choices at hand. 
Success and failures are interesting milestones, but they do not influence what will happen in the future.  They are agnostic about anything other than what was.  They are oblivious to what happens next.  They do not care about the people involved.  They are simply notations of what has already occurred. 
In each moment, one holds a freedom choice within one's grasp.  It is easy to write this from the comfort a nice chair, looking out over the emerging day, knowing that I will safely be able to feed myself today.  I know there are millions in this world that cannot say, and many that cannot imagine what it would be like to be in this position.  For each the question and challenge of what to do with freedom looms large.  Evil has a way of creating obstacles to our response in every situation.  Evil will exploit.  Evil will tear at one's core.  Evil will go after the fabric of your life. 
This morning I find myself looking out on sheet of rain.  It would be easy to see how life will be messy today. It will also be clean.