Regrets?

October 29, 2016

As I’m sitting out on my patio, sipping my morning coffee, watching the dog play on a beautiful late October morning, I got to thinking about that ever so telling saying, “you only live once”.  As I was thinking about that, I had to ask myself, do I have any regrets?

      My mind went to a few occasions that were not really the best times in my past, but I had to answer the question with a resounding NO.  I don’t regret those times lacking in judgment nor those times of plain stupidity.  You see, those moments in time have shaped who I am today.  I learned from each experience, good and bad, and used them to go forward in life, not backward. As an alert automobile driver, I have learned to only glance in the rear view mirror once in a while to see what may be coming at me faster than I’m driving, but I have to keep my eye on the road ahead or I could wreck pretty quickly.  Whatever is coming up behind me may overtake me once in a while, but if I keep my eyes on my part of the road (keeping my eyes on the God of the Universe), I WON’T wreck. 

      Would I have done some things differently in the past with the wisdom I now have?  YES.  But that is really a silly question.  OF COURSE I WOULD…but would I have gained the wisdom I now have without those experiences, good or bad?  It’s very much like which comes first – the chicken or the egg?  Which comes first – wisdom or smart choices? 

      As this fabulous October breeze snatches me from my thoughts, I look at my flowers which are STILL blooming.  I cared for those flowers throughout the summer.  When it was so ding dang hot in the summer, I made sure they had the nutrients and water in abundance so they could be all I knew they could be in giving me pleasure.  I pruned them when they needed pruning and not a day went by they didn’t receive my loving attention.  They brought me so much pleasure; I’d often just sit and look at them because of their beauty.

      Now, in their waning, I still provide the same amount of care, even when they aren’t producing as much as they did.  But I still love them!

      Isn’t that the way our God is?  When we go through the “heat” of our summers (the tough times when we don’t know if it will ever cool down), He is there to water us, nurture us, and when we need it for greater “health”, prune us.  He sits and looks at us with such great pleasure – after all, we are HIS creation.  But He doesn’t just SIT there – He actively participates in our lives - He admires us. 

      LOL – I was just thinking….do those flowers EVER say, “NO – I don’t want you to water me today – please don’t touch me and take those dead flowers off – don’t give me nutrients to help me grow more!”  That actually makes me laugh, but where the rubber hits the road is, in this analogy of us being the flower, do we say that to God?  “No, I don’t need you today”? 

      So as I go into this day, and every day of my life, I have no regrets.  Except maybe the last point made – when I don’t spend the time I would like each and every day with my Creator….time in prayer, time in study.  But regret is a very slippery slope – we can get on the slope of regret and forget to jump off and turn it into action!  THIS DAY, I choose to take action on the areas where I’m looking into the rear view mirror a little too long.  We all have those areas.  I’m going to refocus my focus and get my eyes on the driving lane I’m on and make sure I stay the course – Will you join me?