Regrets

As seen in the HEARTbeat and Village Voice

“Regrets”

            We all have them, don’t we?  The older we get, the more the regrets seem to pile up!  We regret a career decision we made, or maybe didn’t make.  We regret the relationship that got away.  We even regret letting that classic car, which wasn’t a classic then, go as a trade-in on our next dream car.  Yes, all of us can look back and think we could have made some wiser choices in our lives.

            Me?  As I was discussing with my wife this evening, one of my regrets was the school I didn’t go to.  As a teenager, I hauled hay for an Arkansas state senator.  He came to me in my second summer of working for him and said, “Doug, I have an appointment to the Air Force Academy if you want it.”  My response was, “Air Force!  Senator you know my dad was regular Army.  I can’t go to the Air Force Academy!”  Regrets?  Oh yes!  And the regrettable part to this is I didn’t even talk with my dad about it.  To this day I don’t think he ever found out I turned down the appointment.  It’s probably a good thing, as I would have received one of his “correction” events I regretted so much!

            Have you ever had a heated discussion with anyone?  You pour over the argument for hours.  Then you suddenly say to yourself, “I wish I would have said (insert your best comeback here).  We’ve all done it.  However, I’ve found that the terse comeback would have just enflamed the situation all the more.

            The opposite sure holds true.  Have you said something in the heat of the moment and then later regret you couldn’t hold your tongue?  Yes, but the damage has already been done.  Words spoken cannot be retrieved.  Sadly, words can sometimes leave deeper and more long-lasting scars than any physical altercation.

            Do you think Jesus had any regrets?  Sounds like a dumb question, but remember, Jesus was fully human and fully divine in the same body.  In all honesty, I’m guessing He did not have a single regret His entire life.  Jesus’ life was one lived perfectly.

            Why do I think this?  Jesus was guided by a close relationship with His Heavenly Father.  He spoke with Him on a daily basis.  When Jesus needed recharging from a hard day of tending to the needs of others, Jesus would always retire to a private place and spend time in prayer.  While we don’t have scripture to explain the interaction, we do know Jesus was grieved to hear about John the Baptist’s death.  After feeding the 5,000 men plus women and children, Jesus then went up on the hillside to spend time in prayer with the Father.

            A life lived following the guidance of God the Father through the Holy Spirit is one lived without regrets.  We can falter at times, but God understands our shortcomings.  Search for the path God would have you on today, listen to His Holy Spirit in you, and I promise you will not have a single regret.  He knows exactly where He wants you.  Be obedient and faithful.  N