The two sides of regret - the doing and the not doing.
1)Not doing: that sickening feeling that a person feels when they realize that they missed an opportunity to do something and didn't take it
2)Doing: that sickening feeling a person feels when they realize they said or did something they shouldn't have said or done.
No matter which side of regret I fall on, that feeling can be like a wave crashing over me. Can you relate? Unfortunately I have felt both sides and with the same results... miserable feelings of regret. It is so easy to get stuck in that place, living in the past and reliving our sense of failure (whether perceived or real). May I encourage you today to look at these experiences through the lens of scripture?
Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But praise be to God that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9
One of the redeeming qualities of life is that we don't have to live in the past, we can make amends and move forward to make different, better decisions. God knows our frame, that we are weak and sinful yet He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself: through Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.
So next time you begin to get swallowed up by feelings of regret, remember that God has already made a way for you to be restored and get on the right path again.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
Life is a Highway
Life is an adventure: sometimes wild, sometimes mellow, sometimes scary but always an adventure. Every day brings a new experience. Days roll in, roll by, roll away depending on how we choose to live. Have you ever stopped to think about your adventure? Have you been rolling along on the highway, going in a relatively straight line? Or have you been 4-wheeling it for years bumping and banging along with mud splattering all over the place? Maybe you've been cruising on the main road with occasional side trips along less travelled roads.
Most likely you have been on different roads at different times in your life. Whether you find yourself in an off road experience or cruising with the windows down, you can choose to be grateful for the adventure right where you are.
I don't know about you, I want my adventure to be purposeful whether it's bumpy or smooth. Because I've found the road won't always be smooth and straight; likewise, the road will not always be bumpy and full of curves. That, my friend, is the adventure of it all.
Ultimately, we are headed for an eternal destination, this adventure is just temporary so sit back, trust our sovereign God and enjoy the ride.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Jeremiah 29:11
Most likely you have been on different roads at different times in your life. Whether you find yourself in an off road experience or cruising with the windows down, you can choose to be grateful for the adventure right where you are.
I don't know about you, I want my adventure to be purposeful whether it's bumpy or smooth. Because I've found the road won't always be smooth and straight; likewise, the road will not always be bumpy and full of curves. That, my friend, is the adventure of it all.
Ultimately, we are headed for an eternal destination, this adventure is just temporary so sit back, trust our sovereign God and enjoy the ride.
" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'"
Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Transitions and such
Transition, change, new season, whatever you call it, it's an adjustment. An adjustment (or adjustments) that needs to be made in order to move forward in life. Sometimes these adjustments are welcome, sometimes not so much. Nevertheless, there it is... a change that needs to be made.
You know, I have found that, generally, change is something that I look forward to mainly because I get a little bored with "same". Every once in a while I have to gear up for change then I'm good. Case in point, where I stand today is a place in time I knew was coming, I was excited about it, and was curious what would come next. What I didn't expect was the sense of loss I felt when it got here. It crept up on me slowly, imperceptably kind of like a low lying fog that you only see in the open spaces.
Funny how you can think you're ready for something and can even appear ready for it yet get a bit blindsided by some aspect you thought you had considered. There it was, that low lying fog, slowly impairing my vision, my ability to see the future with the same passion, optimism, and energy. When the fog cleared a little I realized I lacked a sense of purpose, my role had changed so dramatically that I felt lost in the process. Plans I had formulated years ago had not materialized, life had not converged with those plans- not positionally nor financially.
When all was said and done, I had to grieve the loss of what I knew I was going to lose and grieve the loss of what I thought would be but didn't have. Meanwhile, accepting this new place in life by finding a new passion, a new purpose, a new vision. Without vision, I began to perish inside and I could not allow that to be where I stayed. But how to find it?
My solution? I just needed to step out and do what was in front of me with passion, pour myself into whatever it was. Live the life I have today, not missing opportunities to learn, grow, contribute. Where did I get that strength? At the foot of the cross, laying down my ideas of what should be and trusting that my sovereign God has a plan that is so much better than what I could dream up for myself.
You know, I have found that, generally, change is something that I look forward to mainly because I get a little bored with "same". Every once in a while I have to gear up for change then I'm good. Case in point, where I stand today is a place in time I knew was coming, I was excited about it, and was curious what would come next. What I didn't expect was the sense of loss I felt when it got here. It crept up on me slowly, imperceptably kind of like a low lying fog that you only see in the open spaces.
Funny how you can think you're ready for something and can even appear ready for it yet get a bit blindsided by some aspect you thought you had considered. There it was, that low lying fog, slowly impairing my vision, my ability to see the future with the same passion, optimism, and energy. When the fog cleared a little I realized I lacked a sense of purpose, my role had changed so dramatically that I felt lost in the process. Plans I had formulated years ago had not materialized, life had not converged with those plans- not positionally nor financially.
When all was said and done, I had to grieve the loss of what I knew I was going to lose and grieve the loss of what I thought would be but didn't have. Meanwhile, accepting this new place in life by finding a new passion, a new purpose, a new vision. Without vision, I began to perish inside and I could not allow that to be where I stayed. But how to find it?
My solution? I just needed to step out and do what was in front of me with passion, pour myself into whatever it was. Live the life I have today, not missing opportunities to learn, grow, contribute. Where did I get that strength? At the foot of the cross, laying down my ideas of what should be and trusting that my sovereign God has a plan that is so much better than what I could dream up for myself.
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