The Potential

Have you ever viewed any of the following movies, Peggy Sue Got Married, Somewhere in Time, the Lake House, About Time, and the Back to the Future Trilogy? In my mind, they all raise an interesting question. If it were possible to go back in time (somehow), would you make changes to your past that would positively affect your future?

Would leave things unaffected? New York Times bestselling author, Beth Harbison, seeks to investigate this idea further in her provocative, humorous, thought-provoking novel, If I Could Turn Back Time.

Thirty-something Ramie Phillips has experienced an adult life some people could only dream of. Her wealth has given her access to the lifestyle of the rich and semi-famous. Having grown up a middle class female in Potomac, Maryland, she can no longer ignore the fact that she feels empty inside and very unhappy with her current life (in general).

On a luxury yacht, none of her friends notice her diving off into the ship’s pool. Ramie is alert in her childhood bedroom to the distant familiar angry voice of her mother. “Wake up! You’re going to be late for school again. I’m not writing a note this time.”

Ramie finds herself transported back in time to her senior year of high school. She’s been given a second chance to reconnect with people’s she’s lost, and alter decisions she regrets. Ramie wonders if she’s lost her mind, is this really happening, and how she got back here in the first place. She wonders what it is that she needs to learn from the past to improve her future.

I believe many of us wish we could have Ramie’s opportunity. Time travel might be desirable, but currently  is impossible. The verses below are my creative, biblical opinion on this unique topic.

“Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me.”  (Philippians 3:13, ERV)

^“For if a man belongs to Christ he is a new person, the old life is gone. New life has begun.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLV)

With the Almighty’s assistance, all you need to do is allow Him to transform your reality to be the best possible in your current situation (as both the future and the past are not within your control). Are you divinely empowered to make all the changes you so desperately want? Of course, the answer is “yes.”