REVERSING REGRETS

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By Rosemary Hines

Do regrets haunt you? Do you cringe when you think of things you’ve said or done in the past ~ words and actions you would take back in an instant if you could relive the moment? I have my share of regrets. We all have them.

Although we can’t travel back in time and right our wrongs, God’s work is not confined by our past actions. He is able to transcend time and bring healing and restoration ~ even to our regrets.

I lived the first thirty years of my life for myself. Although exposed to the Christian faith as a child, I chose to pursue New Age beliefs and practices. I even became involved in séances, Ouija board sessions, and tarot card readings to predict the future.

Then a radical event in our family rocked my world. My father committed suicide. And suddenly all the New Age mysticism I had embraced seemed hollow.

Thankfully, my sister suggested we study the Bible, which resulted in a yearlong journey into a deep, abiding faith in Christ. The transformation it made in my life caused me to feel profound regret for wasting so much of my life chasing false gods.

I remember pouring out my heart in prayer one day, expressing this regret to my new heavenly Father. Immediately, He ministered a truth to me that stands at the core of my beliefs today ~ Nothing is wasted in God’s economy.

Nothing.

Not even my fortune-telling days with the tarot cards or my Christian mocking attitude of being so much more open-minded and wise.

As a result, God has given me stories to share, a series of novels that teach His truths in the context of very real yet fictional characters and events. They bring insight into some very relevant topics such as the seductive nature of the New Age movement in our culture, the social issues and challenges we face in the areas of suicide, abortion, and our faltering education system.

This creative venture of writing was never one I would have imagined growing up. My life plan was to become a teacher. Although God allowed me to enjoy 20 years of that career, His plans for me spanned a much larger audience.

A powerful verse He gave me in this process was from the book of Joel. In it God promises to redeem, or buy back, the years the locusts ate away (Joel 2:25). Isn’t that what regrets really are? Gnawing locusts in our minds eating away the joy we would have found in the good plan God had for us.

As I reflect back on the many bad choices I made, I can assure you that no regret from your past is beyond His redemption. It is my prayer that the novels He inspired me to write will communicate that message of hope and restoration to both non-believers and believers alike. While we all carry regrets, God desires to lift those broken memories off our hearts and minds and use our life experiences to draw others to His grace, mercy, and miraculous, restorative love.

Rather than allowing regrets to cast a shadow on your life, ask God for His perfect plan to redeem the years the locusts have eaten away in your life. Perhaps He will do it through your own writing journey. Or maybe He has a ministry for you that you never even imagined!

rosemaryRosemary Hines

Author of the Sandy Cove Series ~ Out of a Dream, Through the Tears, and Into Magnolia ~ fiction with a message

www.rosemaryhines.com

https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryHinesAuthorPage

http://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-Wesley-Hines/e/B005H8D8TU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

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