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 We all face those difficult times in our lives when we committed a shameful sin and have to live in its public backwash. For a spell, we swim in the sea of regret—with constant reminders of our sin along with the hurt that was inflicted on others. We wish we could turn the clock back, that we could wave a wand and remove everyone’s pain.
It’s tough to face our own failures. When we let our loved ones down because of our sin, when our secret closet is revealed, we crash and burn. We turn into our own worst enemy—seeing the results of bad seeds that we allowed to take root and sprout. The sea of regret is a place where it is difficult to find hope. We feel like we are aimlessly floating alone, hearing no one say, “I care about you. I love you.”
I once read somewhere that God knows our frailties the best and how hard it is to be human. He knows the difficulty of temptations. He knows what its like to live in a stressful time. So when we trip and fall, he is right there to catch us—with his compassionate arms to bring us to a new place, a better place where his love and mercy and grace take on new meaning. He shows us hope when we think there is none. In Luke 7, Jesus told the prostitute who was crying over her failures that the person who is forgiven much can love much and the person who is forgiven little can love little. The Pharisees were forgiven little.
When we find the hope and the vision that God has placed in us from our difficult time, we will be able to love much because we were forgiven much. We find a deeper friendship with Jesus who experienced shame and abandonment like we did. We will have a new appreciation for having a Savior, a place of refuge, a counselor, a divine lover and friend. And the sea of regret turns into a sea of beautiful new mercies – every morning.
 Why did I let
Bad seeds take root?
Why did I embrace
This shameful soot?
Why did I keep
This secret closet?
Why did I allow
My flesh to cause it?
The crash and burn
Did deeply hurt.
But carrying secrets
Was a load of dirt.
Now it’s out
In public shame
And now my loved ones
Bear the pain.
How can my Lord
Lift my chin
With my disgrace
And ugly sin?
How can I find
A friend to hold
When all my loved ones
To me are cold?
While forgiveness for
This sin does come,
I still feel pain
And want to run.
“Hope is hidden
Under your scar, my son.
Good will come
From the bad you’ve done.”
“This is my promise.
I’ve paid for your shame.
Now go in peace
And bring hope to the lame.”
piece by Dean Robinson
email him about it at drobinson@Sebesta.com
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