Wouldn’t it be nice to have a re-do?
What if you could travel back in time? Step back into any moment of your life. I’m sure you’ve either thought of it on your own or been asked the question before. Most of the time however, you’re asked which person from history would you have dinner with or what historical event would you want to step into. But what about your life? Not any period or moment in time, just those that make up your life? What if you could, with the blink of your eyes, travel back to any moment from the time you were born up to yesterday? Would you want to? You would have the chance to go back and have a “re-do” for every stupid thing you’ve ever done. Wouldn’t it be nice? But it’s just fiction isn’t it? Yeah. That’s what got me thinking actually.
I just watched a movie where the main character could travel back in time, never to the future, to any moment of his life. He used this ability to re-do moments where he felt he either messed up or could now do it better the second time around. He even eventually started using his ability to help other people. It was a rather moving story that ended up being centered on the relationship between the main character and his father. And at the end of it all the main point that stuck with me was to enjoy each day, every moment, every mistake, all the laughs, and even the hardships like you can’t go back.
I found myself almost wishing I could do as the character in the movie could. I wanted to go back to my youth and teach myself all the things I now know. Share about reality, trials, daily struggles, mistakes I’ve made, laughs I enjoyed to the point of tears…then I realized that if I went back I might not have each moment I have had. I may change it and become a completely different person than I am now. And while there are things about myself that I dislike and times I find myself downright miserable to be around, I am all that I know. I am who I am for a reason. The Lord has been molding me and crafting me over all these years. There isn’t a groove or curve that has gone unnoticed by Him. While I might have been the one that did something ugly it wasn’t ignored or regretted by the ultimate artist of my life.
And as I look at the Creator of my life I can’t help but think about the fact that He is not held by time. He can see the past, present, and future all at once without being overwhelmed, concerned, confused, or depressed. I mean He is hope, He is life, and He is joy. And He knows my future. I may long to be a different person than I am in this moment of time, but I can’t go back and do anything about it. What I can do is embrace who I am now and trust the One that knows what lies before me. I can start enjoying each day even when it’s hard to and all I want to do is be grumpy or feel justified in belittling someone else.
Life is a gift. So rather than trying to go back and change things, why not live each day so well that when we look back we rejoice? Make every moment of the now a time we would want to go back to just to enjoy it again, not to have a re-do. I can’t say I have it figured out yet, but I want to try. Won’t you join me? Make each day an adventure, a moment of joy, an appreciation of what’s around you. Breathe it in. Embrace it. Be a reflection of the Creator each day. He is joyful, therefore be joyful! And be humbled by the fact that while Jesus did know the future and what was to come for Him, He still brought joy, peace, healing, justice, righteousness, and love to the day. Maybe it’s a blessing that we can’t see what’s in front of us. We don’t know how the person will react when we serve them so we do it for the sake of serving not the reward. And we don’t know the punch line to a joke so we get to be surprised with the laughter at the end. And we aren’t aware of the bad, troublesome, heart-wrenching events before they happen as to not steal the joy away from the life giving moments. Yes, there is uncertainty and mystery but there is also hope and promise.
So let’s lay down our regrets at the feet of Christ and embrace His life, hope, and joy. With the help of the Holy Spirit may we be a people who shine light into each day and help others enjoy the beauty that has been given to us.
Post by Ashley Carter