Re-write

Do you remember the days back in school when you had met that cute guy/pretty girl and just wanted to pen your adoration to them. You took out a sheet of that wide ruled filler paper, sharpened your pencil super sharp and sat down in your room all secret like, just writing away. You start with Dear…. Then what comes next? You scrunch the paper up into a ball and toss it into the trash. WHY? It was the perfect Dear so and so. But your handwriting just wasn’t up to par. So you do a re-write. Before you know it, you have a trash can filled with balled up halfway started love notes.

As I have spent these past few weeks, working feverishly day and night on final edits of my book, I couldn’t help but think of all the re-writes I had done so far. I’m down to the last of the final two chapters and again I had a re-write. As I read through each chapter, I find things I had left out or details that were missing. Then I started to think of life itself.

Imagine with me for a moment, how many times we WISH we could do a re-write of something in our life. If only we could turn back time to change characters, scenes, circumstances, spoken words of hurt or pain, regrettable moments. But in life, we don’t get to re-write what has already happened. We can’t undo the past and just ball it up, and toss it into a trash can hoping no one will ever know or remember. Unfortunately, what happens today will not be changed tomorrow. The mistakes we have made, decisions we carelessly made.

We can’t re-write our wrongs or our past, but I can assure you that each day starts with a clean page and a finely sharpened pencil. Each day begins with an opportunity for a fresh start. Whatever mistakes happened yesterday won’t change, but what you do today can be different. The choices you wake up with determine how your day will go. I have reflected on my past while writing, My Journey With God, and I can honestly say, I would not change one thing. Yes, I suffered many times from circumstances beyond my understanding, and yes I said and did things I should not have. But the lessons I learned have made me the woman I am today. I built more than just character all these years. I built strength, endurance, courage, bravery and so much more. The best part of all this, is that in all my years, I always made my way back to God. This time, I believe in my heart, I am finally home. I rebelled many years but each time, I came home to my Heavenly Father’s arms, I knew where I belonged. It just took me a little longer to realize it.

I encourage you to sharpen your pencil and start your day with a fresh sheet of wide rule filler paper. Write your story. Live this precious life God has gifted to you. Take moments in your day to spend with God. Even if it’s just to say Hi God. Or write a journal entry and start it off like a love note, penning your love and adoration for God. I know He looks forward to those precious moments with you. Don’t allow yourself to feel discouraged about yesterday because today is a new day and tomorrow is yet to come. Savor this time and cherish every moment.

XOXO…Ileen