If Only

If only I had a chance to do it over again.  If only.  How many people have felt this way in life?  

The person who was hit by a car.  If only it had been a few seconds later it never would have happened.  The person who had his hand cut off.  If only he hadn't been in such a hurry.  The person who missed the most important flight in her life by mere seconds.  If only they had a chance to do it all over.  If only.

Has it ever happened you you?  If only you hadn't put your money in a particular stock.  If only you hadn't trusted a certain person.  If only you hadn't gone to that party.  If only you hadn't bought that car or that house or taken on that project or said the things you did when you were angry.  And so on it goes.

What do we do with regret?  How do we get it out of our mind?  We can't change history.  We can't go back.  It is what it is and you can't change it.  So, what do we do?  

The Apostle Paul had an answer that may help.  Philippians 3:13-14, Paul says, ". . . forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.  I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

 I believe that when we can't get the "if only" out of our mind we have to go the One who created us.  Since we can't seem to do it, it would seem logical to go to the One who can.

Perhaps as a child when something happened to you, you may have had the blessing of a good father who told you, "everything is going to be ok."  What wonderful words.  When you feel so bad inside and feel you have failed in some way, what a wonderful thing to go to your heavenly Father, tell Him your story, and listen to His words for you, "It's going to be ok."