No Regrets!

My wife Julie and I have started a list of things we have done, or changes we have made, over which we can now look back and say that we have no regrets.

After 10 years of living here and being a part of the All Saints Church community, we (and our children) can say with full confidence that we are happy to be here and have no regrets in the decision to move here.

A few years back – after finally admitting out loud that turkey was not our favorite – we decided to change our Thanksgiving Day meal to... get ready... sushi and steak! This better fit our family’s idea of a celebratory meal. Four years later we are going strong with that menu and have absolutely no regrets!

Along with many of you that I’ve spoken to, I decided to give up social media a while back. It was not helpful, not uplifting, and was, for me, a big waste of time. I might not know everything that is going on in everyone’s lives, but you know what? I do not regret that decision for a second. My mental, spiritual and emotional health is better for it. I’m not saying that it's the right decision for everyone, but it was for me.

There are more things on my list of no regrets. Marrying my best friend, and having four children are at the top of the list. But another decision (actually a set of decisions) – is the decision to give. Give of my time, my money, my attention. Our family truly believes that God has asked us to give. Not out of our excess or abundance, but out of obedience. We’ve been asked to give when it didn’t seem wise (financially). We’ve been asked to give not knowing how we’d pay all of our bills. We’ve been asked to give in a sacrificial way. And guess what? God has always shown up! Our obedience has given God the space to show up and show himself to us. We have no regrets in giving to God and His work. Whether it’s to church, to local missions, or to Dr. Silvia in the Dominican Republic… God has always blessed us back in one way or another.

Making changes and decisions requires faith on our part. We don’t know how it’s going to turn out – but we have faith that it's God who has nudged us to make those changes. (Ok, the sushi & steak thing might have come from my own desires...)

The point is that when we look back with the wisdom of hindsight, it tends to strengthen our faith today. It’s easier to trust that it will work out for the best the next time we feel that nudge.

How is God nudging you today?

God bless you!

Gary