How many times have you imagined a “do-over?”  What if you could go back in time and do your life all  over again?  Would you? My friend and I had this discussion this morning. She said I need to credit her with the ideas for this article.  So thank you Alicia for today’s topic! So Alicia, was telling me about a debate that a teenager at her church was having with some of the Church Elders. Essentially the teenager was lamenting (as most teens do) about being young and desiring…no longing…to be older, to get to do ALL the things that adults do! I bet you have heard these sentiments before. So the conversation went something like this:

Teen: I wish I were an adult. Life would be so much better!

Church Elders: Why? What is so good about being an adult?

Teen: Being older is more fun and I do not have to listen to my parents. I do not have to go where my parents want me to go.

Church Elders: Well, we wish we were younger! We would love to have our parents or anyone for that matter drive us around! Our own personal chaffeurs (I am sure that is the way parents feel sometimes)! Dropping us and picking us up. That would be great!

Teen: Oh you just don’t understand! Adults always say that!

Church Elders: Being older comes with so many responsibilities like paying bills, working hard every day oftentimes in jobs you don’t like and so much more.

Teen: I still wish I were older…

Even if you are teen reading this article or an adult, some of this conversation sounds vaguely familiar I would imagine…hmm.

I have had teens tell me that they wish they were older for numerous reasons. I am going to list some here. This list includes teens in my church and teens who are not, their reasons for wanting to be adults are basically the same! Teens say they want to become older to:

• Have sex (usually number one)

• Leave home

• Make lots of money

• Hang out with their friends

• Party all day, all night

• Be on their phones, tablets any day, any time

• Get rid of their siblings

• Move away from their parents and family in general (family is so embarrassing)!

• Work and make lots of money

• Wear whatever they want

• Sleep as long as they want

• Watch videos, use their PS4s etc for as long as they want

• Eat whatever they want

• Exercise or not exercise at all!

There are lots of absolutes in their requests and desires. Unfortunately life doesn’t always work that way!

So back to do-overs. What if right now you had the opportunity to do over or reverse some of the decisions you have made in your life?  Erase all your mistakes. Which ones would you erase and do an entire makeover for?

At first the answers seemed pretty straightforward.  For example, ladies, some dates you definitely would never ever, ever, ever have even considered or even gone on those dates!!  Do I hear an “Amen!” Some situations you would have totally avoided. Some business deals, investments, job choices. The list of poor choices is never ending! You name it, I probably did it! Of course relationships are usually at the top of the list. So let’s go there…

I thought about my failed marriage and my own failures as a wife. But then I thought about my daughter. If I had the power to reverse my life and reverse my marriage, would I be willing to reverse my child? Have all our failures and presumed poor choices absolutely wrecked our lives?

Isaiah 41:10 says, I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and dry land springs of water.”

As Christians we believe that this human life one day will end and that we will begin to live a new life in heaven with God.  God saves us in spite of our weaknesses and poor decisions. He will make “springs in dry land.” Thus the mistakes that we felt have made us dry land, desolate and failures, God assures us that even while we are still on earth, before we go to heaven, we will bear fruit in spite of our poor decisions and failures.

So yes, I have made some horrible decisions. And some of those decisions have had terrible outcomes. But still in my confusion and mired life, God created fresh springs and hope. My daughter is a spring to  me. Her name Gianna means “God is gracious” and every time I look at her, I think of His grace to me.

I do not know the mistakes and the decisions you may want to reverse today. But I do know that God can give you a fresh start that changes your perspective on those mistakes. Those mistakes will  be the stepping stones that will decorate your voluminous and overflowing springs in dry land!