Author Katherine Mansfield only lived to age 35, but wrote these wise words, “Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only good for wallowing in.” Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
In our reflections we tend to celebrate the happy times but regret the disappointing ones and that’s when our wallowing begins. Don’t get me wrong, we ought to celebrate the positive, but life’s difficulties are not worthy of regret. In fact, it is during the tough times that we mature the most. This past summer I taught our grandchildren how to skip rocks. Walking along the shoreline or riverbed, it’s important pick the smoothest, flattest stones – those are the ones that travel farthest. Those smooth stones don’t happen overnight – years of rippling water or pounding surf soften the rough edges and jagged points until the stones bear little resemblance to what they once were.
Such is the story of our lives. We don’t mature overnight, but through years of turbulent moments or stormy situations God softens the rough edges and jagged points until we bear little resemblance to what we once were. Painful? Sometimes, but remember, like a shoreline stone, it is the smooth soul that skips through life and travels farthest.