If I had it all to do over

another devotion from Quiet moments alone with God by : Emilie Barnes

Scripture Reading: Luke 22 7-20 /Key Verse Luke 22:19b

This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

Someone asked me the other day if I had my life to live over, would I change anything? My answer was no, but I thought about it and changed my mind. If I had my life to do over again I would have waxed less and listened more. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadows over my feet, I'd have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside of me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. I would have never insisted that the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten popcorn in the "good" living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace. I would have taken time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have burned the pink candle sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored. I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains. Here is a woman looking back on life and remembering all the little phases and events we often overlook the first time around. Each of us, regardless of what our ages are, look back with regret that we didn't take moe time to_________. My Bob gets melancholy when we see our old photo slides of the children when they were young. He remembers when he could have if he would have. But we can't go back and recapture lost opportunities. We need to take advantage of each day and live it to the fullest. When we take communion at our church, the elements are placed on a table with these words carved on the side facing the congregation: "This do in remembrance of me." The scriptures state very clearly that we are to look back to the cross and remember what christ did for us. At the communion table we are to break bread ("this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.") and drink from the cup ("this cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood."). We are to remember what Christ Jesus did for us in history. Elisabeth Elliot states,"Ultimate hatred and ultimate love met on those two crosspieces of wood. Suffering and love were brought into harmony." As we look back over our life, let's make sure that we have accepted Jesus as he suffered for us and our sins on the cross and paid the price of his death because of his ultimate love for us. This unselfish act has been the greatest event in human history. As we look back, may we clearly remember Jesus, the bread, and the cup of wine.


This really spoke to me, I can think back to those times of regret, and reading this helps me see how I want my future to look.


Be Blessed!