No Regrets?

A question often asked by many is, do you regret? Well I can’t answer for anyone except myself. Life certainly can offer lots of lumps, amidst happy and sad times I try to stay focused on positive. I believe it is a good thing to reflect on the past, both good and bad, for a few reasons though. At the top of those reasons would be that revisiting the past can help us to not repeat mistakes. If we made mistakes and we learned from them, then we are better for it. I am thankful for being in a place where, while I am still striving for the goal, I have a vantage point where I can stand and look back and see all that I have walked away from. All the experiences in whole have made me a better person today than I was yesterday.

Difficult situations I’ve been through have taught me to trust my gut instinct. I believe Abba YHVH has given us this feeling that seizes our gut for a reason. I have been in too many pickles to count and I am THANKFUL that I had “that” feeling. Initially my mistake was to not trust it. I learned that if I get “that” feeling I had better pay attention and listen to YHVH for instruction. His guidance has gotten me out of the said pickles and I am very thankful for that. Had I not had these situations, that I put myself in, I would not have the wisdom that I do now to handle those situations.

Certain situations I have been through have taught me compassion for others who are still traveling through their journey of life. I understand where they are because I myself was in their position, in any shape or form, at one point in my own life. In this way I feel I am able to relate to others and possibly help them through their own issues in life. Had I not had experience in these areas I would be of no use. After all, “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor,” right? Of course right. 

Poor choices in life and love have made me a better parent. While there is always room for improvement I can say that I believe that armed with the knowledge I currently have I can help steer my daughter’s thought processes to make better choices with the goal that I can help her avoid some of the horrible mistakes I made. She, no doubt, will make her own mistakes but I hope that she will at least not make the same ones I made. Or that if she is faced with the same situations I was in she will be armed with different options to help guide her through her decisions.

Although painful, joyful, pleasurable, scary, hopeless, despairing, hurtful, heart-wrenching, melancholy, or whatever the situations experienced I have no regrets! I used to love reading those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books but I always found myself holding a finger in the spot of choosing so I could go back and choose another path should I inadvertently choose the wrong one. Real life isn’t that simple, unfortunately. It is for this reason that I am thankful for my Abba YHVH’s forgiving nature. I am thankful for His lessons. All along the way I can see His hand in my own life. How He was there all along, when here I thought I was a ‘big’ girl making my own decisions, which I was. Time and time again I was presented with choices. Whatever I chose I had consequences. If it was a good choice they were good and conversely if I chose wrong the consequences were bad. In either case I learned, and that is what counts. No regrets!

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, But it is the counsel of YHVH that stands. Pro 19:21 

 
**Additional Note: I just wanted to add that I neglected to mention the importance of teshuvah... repentance. Even though I am saying that I do not regret the experiences I have had. Certainly I do wish I didn't have to go through certain things, but in reflection I realize the importance of them in my life in order to shape my current walk. It IS important to ask forgiveness where we are wrong. I do believe in YHVH's grace, but I don't believe you can continue to walk in His grace without asking Him for forgiveness. Total repentance is in Hebrew, "teshuvah" which literally means "turn and return." So I just wanted to be sure that I was clear on this. ~Shalom :)