follow up

Friends' comments on the previous blog got me thinking a little more.

I do think about how we can look back and it can be embarrassing to see how juvenile we might have been acting or feeling in a certain situation. It is surprising to see that it can really feel like a memory that belongs to someone else, probably because we are doing our best to erase or suppress it. I guess what I am seeing is that whether we like it or not, those things that we regret or rather not see are a part of us and play a formative role in getting us to where we are now! I think that it is a clear statement that says you have grown up and changed from the person in that memory.

A little over a week ago, I was talking with one of my teens about regret. She regretted making certain decisions and just could not get over the fact that she had done so. I heard myself telling her that we cannot live with regret otherwise we are not alive and we continue to live in the past--it prevents us from moving forward and living in the present. I think I needed to hear it too, we all do sometimes! We have to remember that our mistakes should not be relived and continually lamented because there is nothing we can do about it except learn from it. We were able to talk about the strength that she had gained from her decisions, the path she was currently on as a result, and how much more informed and equipped she is than the average person!

Sometimes too, it is hard to remember that grace is free and is infinitely abundant. At times we fail to accept the grace offered us for our wrongs and relive and essentially re-sin by going back to a specific moment. Why condemn ourselves when already forgiven?

I started wondering as well, how many of these "moments" that we go through are we IN right now? Are there things that I feel are so important or are upset about but will think only trivial in the future? If so, what can I do to see that now, to learn from the past to prevent regret in the present and the future? Are there areas in your life that need changing so that you don't look back and say, "man I wish...".

If it seems like I'm on two different tracks, I am. I think that there is a balance, of seeing how we change; admitting and accepting that we are just different from who we WERE; not living in regret; living in light of our past and learning from it.