Starting AnewSample

Not long ago, I had an amazing time with my sisters and our husbands. We stayed up late one night laughing and talking about moments from our childhood, and went on a triple date to a local board-game cafe and restaurant.

Yet, those moments of enjoyment did not start there. It had actually been several years since we had all gotten together. Life was busy for each of us with marriage, raising children, activities, and the demands of work. We were completely consumed and had unintentionally lost our deeply knit connection.

However, at the beginning of 2021, my older sister facilitated a reset one day. She sent a text for us to start coming together for a sisters’ chat. We all agreed on a day and time. Then, she sent us an invite to set the weekly chat on our calendars.

Now, each week we connect on the phone. There are no agendas except for us to spend time together. Sometimes we have deep conversations, and other times, we sit on the phone while one of us orders coffee, speaking through the drive-thru intercom to the barista without hitting mute. Those moments turn into non-stop laughter and are just as meaningful and important to the growth of our sisterhood as the deeper conversations. If we had chosen to focus on the regret of the time we didn’t spend together in our yesterdays, we would have missed the beautiful moments we are experiencing today.

The beauty of relationships that are knitted together by strong ties of love (see Colossians 2:2-3) is when they call for a reset we simply pick up from where we left off or begin from where we are.

The same is true in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we are ready to go from regret to reset, He is ready too. The question then becomes, how do we get from regret to reset in our relationship with our Heavenly Father?

1. Reassess Our Expectations
Take a moment to consider what expectations you have placed on yourself that may or may not be fitting for this season of life. How is God telling you to shift these expectations to make room for Him?

2. Redefine Devotion
The word “devotion” is defined as, “love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause.” With this in mind, we must think about the things we want or need to devote our time and attention to. Consider how those may need to be redefined to facilitate the relationship you desire to have with your Heavenly Father.

3. Focus on the Cross
As we focus on the cross of Jesus Christ, we are reminded that God wants a relationship with us. When our time with Him begins to wane, He isn’t sitting there bitterly saying, “Well, well, well. Look who decided to show up for our quiet time together today.” Instead, He is the one who says, “Hey friend, I am so glad to see you. What have you been up to?” He speaks to us as if we never drifted or missed a moment with Him. Our choice to continually focus on the cross means that we will always be able to reset where we may have regressed.

Regret is a powerful emotion, but a reset is even more powerful. Take some time and write down which one of these three tools will help you to move from regret to reset.