It's a Puzzle: A 10-Day Devotional About... LifeSample

Day 9: Choosing the Right Pieces for Your Puzzle, or the Regret It Rule

For many years, one of our favorite mini vacation getaways was a 10-hour drive from our home in Nova Scotia to North Conway, New Hampshire, to go antique hunting.

During our very first trip, Denise found a beautiful hand-crank doorbell from the late 1800s. She loved that doorbell. She wanted that doorbell. It was an expensive doorbell ($130 Canadian)!

We walked around that store for nearly an hour as Denise tried to choose: spend that much money on a “want” item or be practical, and as the store closed, we said goodbye to the owner and exited the shop with empty hands.

On the way home the following day, after an hour or so of driving, Denise began lamenting over her “loss.”

It was so nice...

Why didn’t I get it?

It’s only money...

What was I thinking?!

We’ll never see a doorbell like that again!

These were a few of the many things I heard on the long road back to Nova Scotia. And thus, the Regret It Rule was born. It goes something like this...

When you’re in a position of opportunity of some sort, and you’re having trouble deciding whether or not you should go through with it, ask yourself this simple question:

If I walk away from this opportunity... will I regret it?

Keep in mind; the opposite is also true:

Will I regret it if I go ahead with this?

...if I spend all that money on a “luxury” item?

...if I move in with that person? If I break up with them?

...if I tell that individual how I really feel about them?

...if I hit ‘Send’ on that message to that woman who is not my wife?

...if I spend more time at work instead of with my family?

...if I stay in this abusive relationship?

Regret works on so many levels.

God has prepared good works for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). There are never regrets when we walk in God’s will, but regrets abound aplenty when we do not do what we know is right (James 4:17).

Maybe God has burdened your heart to do something, and a huge piece of your puzzle is on the line. But you lack the courage to move forward. My friend, you must realize God sometimes waits for you to take that first step in faith before the courage you need is provided.

I’m happy to report that when we returned to that antique store the following year, amazingly, that doorbell was still for sale. It now resides on our front door.

No regrets.