Some flavors stay with us. Like lemonade on a hot summer afternoon – sweet enough to make us smile, while also tart enough to make us pucker. And life often serves us the same mix. There are moments we regret – the failures, the losses, the missteps – which leave behind a certain tartness. But the tang of these memories sharpens the sweetness also present – giving our story depth and richness we would have missed otherwise.
To be sure, we should not seek out pain or suffering when these could be easily avoided. There’s wisdom in learning from others, as there’s no need to fall into every ditch when others can show us a better way. And we invite much unnecessary suffering when we’re not humble enough to learn.
Of course, there’s some suffering in life that’s simply part of living in a fallen world, or even spiritual warfare. And these can bring a bitter sorrow into our story. Even here we can learn to live with the bittersweet realities of life – allowing for profound sorrow and beauty to coexist.
But the tartness in our story is more about regrets. We feel bad about the pain and suffering we’ve caused, and that could’ve been avoided. But instead of being a point of perpetual shame, we can acknowledge the sins of our youth without the fear of them ruining the rest of our life.
For instance, we might lament missed opportunities to advance God’s calling for our life, neglected time with our kids while they were young and in our home, or betrayed trust through infidelity or financial irresponsibility that caused our marriage and family to suffer. Rather than beating ourselves up for our past sins, we can now let our regrets shape and flavor our approach to life – becoming more courageous, attentive, committed, and generous moving forward.
The tartness of our past is still there. But it has become like lemonade. And the pucker it now brings makes the sweetness we’re rediscovering even more satisfying.
In the end, don’t allow your past regrets to make you bitter. But let its tartness cut through the shallowness of life and give your story a flavor you couldn’t have gotten otherwise.
