Living with No Regrets
There are five things that we cannot recover in life:
The Stone…………after it’s thrown,
The Word………….after it’s said,
The Occasion…..after it’s missed,
The Time…………..after it’s gone.
A person…………..after they die.
I realize this after I’ve missed a chance to call a friend and didn’t. When I failed to remember another friend’s birthday. When I forgot to pray a little prayer with my grandson before he rushed out the door to go to school. When I said something that I wish I hadn’t.
Life is too short. To live in peace, harmony, and contentment that I finished this day with no regrets is my desire. A purpose-driven life of giving audacious love, forgiving, encouraging, and apologizing if I blew it is the only way I want to go. Tomorrow isn’t promised us so I want to live today like there is no tomorrow.
Living with no regrets is the only way to live! Who wants to live with these thoughts: “I wish I hadn’t”; “I wish I had”; “I wish I didn’t”; “If only….”
Confession: I had the thought “I wish I had and if only”….when a friend called to tell me she was bringing me a piece of her birthday cake from her family’s birthday celebrations for her! For crying out loud! I knew it was her birthday and planned on going shopping for a just-right gift. She matters to me too much. How could I get so busy that I forgot? I attempt to find an excuse. Nada! I should never be so busy that I miss an opportunity to celebrate a dear friend. I quickly found a birthday card and a couple of token items to place in a birthday bag, but the effort was lack-luster! I’m sure she knew I was pulling at straws with this meager attempt. Argh!
I’m going to keep that “no regrets” mindset. I’m purposing to pray each day (for a sound mind that doesn’t so easily forget) and live by this scripture: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O God!” (Psalm 19:14) In fact, I’ve declared this to be a new life scripture. Lord, may my heart be so in tune with you that those meditations help me with my actions! I add my words to that scripture: ”also acceptable to my family, my friends and everyone I encounter in this day.” Words too quickly spoken can be regret “stones”. And words NOT spoken can be regret “stones”.
Some of life’s greatest lessons come from firsthand experience. And those experiences teach us “living with regrets” or “living with NO regrets”. The latter on that statement is truly the way to go. Believe me, I’ve known both. Those times we “miss it” are surely those times we learn from the most. Life is too short and making the most of everything we can when the opportunities arise, not only produces sweet memories, but it makes for deepening our relationships with each other.
Are you seizing those moments, minutes, days of YOUR life? We are here at this place, and this moment of time, for a specific purpose that God gave for only us to fulfill. Let’s be done with just going with the flow. Let’s live ALL IN! Let’s look for those moments in this day that are over-the-top outrageous, once-in-a-lifetime moments, so that tomorrow, we’ll look back and say, “I lived with no regrets!”