No Regrets

Each story is different.
This is my family's story---
how He led and directed us. 
And your story sings of God's grace and faithfulness, as well.
Let us rejoice in His gracious use of different scenarios and circumstances for His glory and honor.

Before children, I worked as a church secretary.
I can hear you now:
"Oooooooh!"
Impressed, aren't you?
Despite the fact that I enjoyed my job and really loved working with my husband (and other office staff), we both knew that when I got pregnant and gave birth to our first child, I'd be trading in my office chair for a rocking chair.

Now, with two sons in high school and a third who will follow suit in a year,
my stay-at-home days will soon be a memory.
I'll re-enter the workforce once again
(though what that means is still a mystery to me).
Yet as I ponder our boys' growing-up-days,
I can honestly say I have no regrets.
Yes, I made mistakes.
Yes, I lost my temper.
Yes, I wasted time.
There are things I've learned
and things I wish I would have implemented
and things I wish I would have relaxed about.

But through it all, God gave us presence.
We may not have had the newest or latest---
or necessarily the "best" stuff of life.
But we had each other.
And we had the gift of time.
Time to invest.
Time to model.
Time to play.
We had time to nurture.
Time to shepherd.
Time to disciple.
We had time to laugh;
time to build character and memories;
time to build a solid foundation.

And through my mistakes,
I believe our boys got an up close view of God's forgiveness and grace.

Today, I look at these young men around me---
the ones I cradled and rocked so close to my heart.
Now towering above me,
they're full of hope and promise and passion.
As the time of their launching gets closer,
I can't help but overflow with whispers of thanks,
"Thank You, Father.
Thank You for always, always, always providing.
Thank You for the joy of being here.
Thank You for using these sons of mine to mold and shape and change me.
Through them, I've come to know You better.
I've seen who You are and what You're like.
I've experienced Your unfailing patience and grace and mercy toward me.
And through the day-in-and-day-out moments of life,
I trust they've come to see through this imperfect vessel
that You are good.
You are faithful.
And You are enough."