Do you live in the land of “if only I had . . .”? If you live in that land, you are not alone, but you don’t have to stay there. How can you move out of the land of if only I had . . .?
Yesterday, a news reporter talked about people who chose to stay in Florida during Hurricane Irma.
A government official said that those who changed their mind had to stay now. It was too late to leave. All services had been suspended. If only . . .
In my latest book, Moving from Broken to Beautiful® through Grief, I told the story of a teenage girl, Jeanette, who argued with her mother over use of the car that evening.
As her mother turned to leave, the daughter screamed, “I hate you, Mom.”
Her mother said, “We’ll settle this when I return,” and left.
Afterward, Jeanette realized she had been disrespectful. She decided to stay up until her mother came home and apologize.
Her mother had a car accident on the way home and died at the scene. Jeanette sobbed and said, “If only I hadn’t lost my temper. If only I hadn’t screamed at my mother.”
Your circumstances may be different than Jeanette’s, but perhaps you also live in the land of “If only I had . . .”
Your First Step to Move Out of the Land of If Only I Had . . .
Make confession your first step. Tell God you’re sorry for what you did or didn’t do. Confess without excuses or blame of someone else.
Your Second Step
Your second step is to repent. To repent is to turn from your wrongdoing and turn to God. Repentance involves a change of attitude and behavior. You will change your ways. You’re sorry not because you got caught, but because you did wrong.
You do not have to stay stuck in the past. Once you follow those two steps, you can move out of the land of if only I had . . . and into the land of moving from broken to beautiful.
Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer: God, I’m sorry for _______. I have no excuse and no one to blame. I repent of that wrongdoing. Thank you for your promise that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Amen.
When will you take your first step to move out of the land of if only I had . . .?
Copyright © by Yvonne Ortega IX.XI.MMXVII
