Hello There, Girlfriends!
Once again, my blog is coming to you in video form! I plan to return to writing my blog posts this Fall, but I have heard from many of you that you are enjoying ‘listening’. I get that.
Some of us are auditory learners and some of us like to listen as we multi-task. I almost always have a podcast or video message playing when I am cleaning the house or cooking dinner. When we listen, we can hear the person’s message with their own inflections and emphasis. This is valuable – and I believe it connects us in ways that a written blog cannot.
However, I love to read and maybe you do too! I tend to share and savor written blogs more and keep them in my ‘saved folder’ to return to time and again.
So, what am I saying? I’m going to alternate between the two and today I’m doing BOTH! Thanks for the feedback and encouragement – it is always appreciated.
My message today comes to you from a very tender place. It is about the regret we can experience when remembering the times we ‘missed it’ as parents. I hope you will receive it with self – compassion and with the understanding that it is never, ever too late for a clean slate and a fresh start.
We do not have to live our lives in regret. We do not have to live our lives looking back and wishing for a do-over. In fact, we do not have to wish for it at all – it’s ours for the asking.
Socrates’ claimed that the unexamined life is not worth living. His belief was that only in examining our life will we know and understand ourselves – and in understanding ourselves, we find life’s meaning.
Well, in the Christian view, an unexamined life is a life of denial. It’s a life with a limited view of God and it limits us in ways that keep us stuck.
When we dare to look back and see truth, we experience God’s grace and love – His forgiveness and mercy. He removes the sting of regret and replaces it with a clean slate.
Everything that we have – right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start – comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:30
Jesus Christ alone gives our life meaning. The more we allow Him to have access to our lives, the more meaningful life becomes. We can trust Him go with us to look back, see the truth and then do what we need to do to move on in health and wholeness. And in many of these cases, we will have to ask for forgiveness from Him and from our loved ones as well.
- We will ask for forgiveness without excuses
- We will ask for forgiveness even if the injury was unintentional
- We will ask for forgiveness even if many years have gone by and we hope the other person has forgotten
- We will ask for forgiveness because that’s what growing believers in Christ do – and we work to improve upon our readiness to do it until God takes us home
I say this comes from a place of tenderness, because what I share with you in the message is part of my story. I know so very well how God honors obedience.
Maybe you are due an apology and some understanding from someone who hurt you. Think of the gift it would have been if they had simply acknowledged your hurt and asked for forgiveness. It would mean so very much to you, wouldn’t it?
Well, with that in mind, why would we ever hesitate to give this gift to our children?
I am on this journey with you my friends, and as far as I can see, all roads lead to God’s grace. Let’s keep going!
Many Blessings,
