I carefully wrote out the cheque for my purchase and handed it to the young cashier. Looking at it almost uncomprehendingly, he called his supervisor over for assistance in filling out a special form needed to account for this purchase by cheque. Since that awkward incident, I now use my bank card almost exclusively, rarely using cheques or even cash when I go shopping.

I sometimes say in jest that as long as I can still have a landline telephone, write a cheque, and check out a book from the library, I can die happy! One by one, however, my familiar security blankets are disappearing.

I have been a loyal subscriber to our local newspaper for many years. Print publications of all kinds are in a downward spiral today, however, with newspapers and magazines going out of print daily. Even my "daily" newspaper is printed and delivered only four days a week, with the other three issues being available only online. I feel like the proverbial dinosaur, and I sometimes wonder why I bother maintaining my subscription!

The futility of stubbornly clinging to old ways is obvious, however. It is much better to acknowledge and accept change and progress as inevitable — and desirable. It does me no good to refuse to adapt to new ideas, methods, and tools. Sometimes, I feel as though I just have my toes over the technology line, but I am grateful that I can use my smartphone and computer. That's enough for most of my needs.

Several characters in the Bible may have felt like I do at times, as their lives must have also seemed to be in an upheaval. Noah was the ultimate pioneer, having to start life all over again when the great flood left him and his family as the only survivors on the earth. Abraham was well-established in life when God directed him to leave his homeland and resettle hundreds of miles away in a land promised to him and his descendants. Moses was over 80 when he was tasked with leading his people out of Egypt. Paul was constantly on the move, often fleeing death and the hatred of his countrymen. Yet these faithful followers of God willingly moved forward when life around them seemed so uncertain.

Though not written specifically to address my situation, the following Scripture verses convey the benefit of moving forward in life, progressing rather than regressing or remaining stagnant.

Philippians 3:13b-14 – Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. (TLB)

In our daily lives as Christian pilgrims, let's stop regretting past losses and keep moving forward!

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, give us the wisdom and the will that we need to keep moving forward faithfully toward our eternal future. Amen.