Regrets are the tollbooths of human life. Just like tollbooths, regrets stop us from whatever we are doing and exacts a price from our time & emotional energy. To me, living without regrets seems almost impossible. It seems to me that if we went in search for a man who had no regrets, we would never end our search. And if we do find one, I can safely say that we have found the most ignorant fool on earth. We all have done something we regret. It can be something we did or something we said or it can even be something we didn’t say or do. Whatever the case may be we all have our burdens to bear. These burdens have a way of weighing us down. If we let them, they’ll keep us from getting out of our bed. We won’t have the courage to face the day. I’ve been there and it’s not a nice place to be.

But over the years, I’ve realized certain truths that keep me moving no matter how bad the situations get. Some of them are common sense, but the primary ones are inescapably linked to my faith. I know where I’ve anchored my ship and no matter the size or the shape of storm before me, the anchor will hold. I know that I can lose everything in my life, but I will always have a place to return to. That place is on my knees. I know a love that is more jealous and demanding than death. Standing on these tremendous truths, many of life’s struggles become infantile. These give me strength to be unfazed by the challenges of life.

The secondary truths are more simple and practical ones. I realized long time back that worrying about something changes nothing but your blood pressure. I see each new day as a new opportunity. Even if the previous day I failed miserably, that is in the past. I can’t change the past. The only time I can act is present. And if now I stand frozen at the horror of my shortcomings of yesterday, I will still be in the same place tomorrow, frozen at the shortcomings of my today. The only way to break the cycle is to get up and move.

The whole world stands nowhere but upon the grace & mercies of God. The sun shines both on the good and the wicked. All of us have sinned and fallen short. But to all of us, a promise is also given. A promise of forgiveness and redemption. A promise of renewed mercies every morning. And he says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”

To conclude, let me leave you with a song that communicates beautifully the truth of God’s mercies. It reminds us that the stores of his mercies are inexhaustible and no matter how many times or how far we have fallen, we can always come back to the mercy seat. The song is “Mercies New” by Nichole Nordeman.

Is it fair to say I was lured away? By endless distractions and lovelier attractions then Or fairer still, my own free will Is the better one to blame for this familiar mess I've made again

So I would understand if You were out of patience
And I would understand if I was out of chances

And Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Then let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it’s true, You make all Your mercies new

The distance left between East and West
Is how far You would go to forget the debt I’d owe
And thrown into the sea, the wicked ways in me
Will never have a chance to wash back on the sand

So I would understand if You would make me pay
And I would understand lying in the bed I made again

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it’s true, You make all Your mercies new

Up comes the sun on every one of us
Gone, gone, gone the guilt and shame that knew Your name

Your mercies are new every morning
So let me wake with the dawn
When the music is through or so it seems to be
Let me sing a new song, old things gone
Every day it’s true, You make all Your mercies new

You can listen to the song here.