I suspect that we all live with regrets since we are human. But the bigger issue is: What do we do with those regrets? I have had a dream for most of my life that I would one day become a writer. Trust me, I have paid my dues. I started out writing poetry about lovers, births of babies, birthdays, anniversaries and Christmases; and then moved on to prose for tributes, eulogies, etc. Yet each little start made me realize it wasn’t exactly fulfilling my lifetime dream. I simply treated it like a wishful thinking hobby. I thought I could entertain people by skillfully creating a trek down memory’s lane that would bring delight to my readers. Yet, my life as a writer remained unsatisfied.

I eventually came to the place where I believed my gift of writing—making things rhyme, challenging hearts, and making people smile—was more than a gift. It was a calling. So, I set out to do something about my dream—I wrote a book and published it. That book went live in August of 2022. Oh, don’t get me wrong here. It’s not that I have attained any great success, but guess what? I have reached some lives with my voice in print.

My book, There Is Life after Tragedy, is about a tragic event in my father’s family that took place before I was born. As a speaker, a new door opened for me to speak to various groups about the loss of love and life; about grieving and learning to live again; and telling the good news of a loving God who understands our pain and never lets us walk alone. I hear from people regularly that my book has touched their lives deeply.

Recently, I connected with two uncles in my mom’s family that I haven’t seen since I was a teenager—all because of my writing. Now, after many years, a delightful connection has been made that is currently bringing joy to all of us. And as an added bonus that I wasn’t expecting, my book was a named a finalist in the American Writing Awards Competition for 2023. We just never know what God has in store for our gifts.   

As I stared at a blank piece of paper this week thinking about what I would like to change about my life (you know, this thing we do as the new year rolls in), these thoughts flowed from my pen: If I could change anything about my life, I would take my dreams more seriously; I would follow those desires of my heart more intently; I would have more confidence in the gifts God has given me. If my mind were to summarize what my heart is saying, it would sound like this: If I could change one thing about my life, I would spend more time writing!

How about you? Do you have an unfulfilled dream of writing, painting, singing, woodworking, or whatever gift you may have that still hangs out in the backyard of your mind? Deal with those regrets about what you haven’t done by making a start to fulfill your dream. Regardless of your age, pay attention to your gift. Acknowledge it. Call it what it is. Use it. Exercise it. Grow it. Consider God in the equation and talk to Him about it. And by all means, use your faith. And if your gift is writing, then write, write, write—with all of your might!

Go ahead and make my statement work for you and your gift: “If I could change one thing about my life, I would spend more time ______________.”

Just fill in the blank and go for it! Our God is a God of surprises! Happy 2024 to all ~ Sarah Jane

Image by <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/cute-composition-with-hearts-books_1120554.htm#query=book%20background&position=15&from_view=search&track=ais&uuid=87e2386f-c5f0-4519-a089-a2cd97917441″>Freepik</a&gt;