Regrets.
We have regrets of things we wished we did and wished we never did.
I regret not joining the volleyball team in High School.
I regret not asking this girl out.
I regret not going to Vanguard University after High School.
I regret hurting some of my friends
I regret telling my secrets to this person.
I regret letting go of her.
People will have different regrets in life, and some will view regrets differently. We can live our life in regret, or see them as life experiences.
The story of Abraham and Ishmael hit me home. God made a promise to Abraham that he will become a blessing through his offspring. For thirteen years, Abraham had Ishmael. He loved him, cherished him, nourished him, and prepared him to be the descendant that will bless nations. However, God had a different plan for him. It is the same promise, but it is for Abraham’s real wife, Sarah.
Ishmael is their earthly plan, Isaac is the God’s plan.
In Genesis 17:15-18, Abraham laughed at God regarding Sarah’s son. He asked God if it can just be Ishmael be the blessing? All his love, all of his hopes, and all of his dreams have been poured into this boy. Is this a regret? Is Abraham sad? Is he heartbroken? Was it all a mistake? Thirteen years of love will leave him for nothing?
Ishmael is not the promised son; he is not the one.
The story hits my soul. It made me asked myself, if all the things that I did was for nothing. Was I too eager to love people with all my life, but they are not really the people that I will be with? Was this God’s plan all along? I feel Abraham’s pain. After years of work, love, and service, they are not the one?
For those who are Christians and dating? Is she the one? Is he the one? Or are we too eager to fulfill what God has for us that it becomes an obstacle for God’s blessing. Are we afraid to break up with someone because we might never find the right person? So what now?
It goes back to regret and how we view it.
Was loving Ishmael a mistake?
The answer is “no.” Even though sometimes, what we see as solutions turn out to be only more obstacles for God to deal with, that does not mean that God disapproves of the paths we seek out or that we should start feeling regrets for wasted time. With God, there are no dead ends, only training grounds.
I hope and pray that as you continue to live your life for Christ, you seek Him with all your heart. Let your relationship, friendship, marriage, work, career, and everything you do is Christ-centered.
God bless. Happy Thanksgiving.
Provider's Hands, Heart, and Mind 