Life's like that

As I looked for a photo buried in a box of pictures from the 1980's, I found myself also wading through a whole lot of other pictures - memories of fun times and sad times. 

Have you ever done that - flipped through a photo album or dug through a box of pictures and
ended up being nostalgic? We remember the people who crossed our path and wonder "what
ever happened to Sheila or Charlie?" Or we laugh over a story we recall about a trip we took
with friends. Or we feel twinges of regret or sadness.

Life's like that - it's easy to get caught up in the "what ifs" and "if onlys" - wishing we'd made
different choices along the way. We all have things we'd like to forget or wish we could change.
But the memory is there. What is - is. And what was can't be changed. Dwelling on it won't make any difference to its reality.

Instead, Philippians 4:8 tells us "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and
if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."

Bringing it home - God specializes in taking our sadness, our regrets, and our mistakes, and moving us forward. Try it - "Okay, God, here I am - mistakes and all. Take my fears, my regrets, and my sin. Help me focus on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good report. Move me forward."

God bless you this week.

Ann Griffiths