Yesterday, I glanced out the window and noticed my next-door neighbors’ old playhouse. There it stood, stained with permanent purple handprints, the swings barely clinging onto the post, and cobwebs filling the room that used to serve as the kitchen.
This playhouse provided a place for adventure, friendship, and community. Alas, its time has come to an end. But does that make it an unworthy investment?
We are so often focused on the future that we work ourselves up over whether or not we wasted time in the past. Why didn’t we do more extracurriculars rather than hang out with friends? Why didn’t we work more hours rather than explore new hobbies? Why did we make that purchase that didn’t last forever?
Even worse, we begin to fret about regret. But what may be unusable or unappreciated now can still have value in reflection. And that includes relationships.
Do you ever beat yourself up over spending time with someone who you don’t talk to anymore? Maybe this person won’t ever have the same significance they once had in your life, but they were there to teach you something valuable.
Instead of looking back at the past with doubts and alarm, perhaps today you can reframe your perspective and appreciate all that your growth has taught you. All these people and experiences and even possessions have brought you to the place you are today. But none of it has any value without God.
Thanks to God, we don’t have to have regrets. We know that even when we mess up or make a questionable choice, God will use it to bring us closer to Him. We just have to keep our hearts open to the possibility that it isn’t too late for us.
If you are caught in confusion, overwhelmed by mistakes or lack of closure, call out. to God for insight. Peace is one of the many gifts He willingly gives us.
You are not a failure when your thoughts linger on a place that’s no longer here or a person who doesn’t occupy your time anymore. But the past is not a place to live; rather, it’s a place to reflect in before moving forward with renewed courage and hope.
You have made it through all the storms that have come your way so far. You will be able to do it again. ❤
My son, if you accept my words
Proverbs 2:1-6
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
The Will to Wake Up 