"If Only"

When you think about “if only’s,”

And the “what-if’s” along the way,

You remember all the “lonelies,”

And the times they heard you say,

I never will get better,

It will always be this hard,

Doomed to be a fretter,

And from joyful always barred.

And then you think more clearly,

And you know it’s just not true,

Because God loves you dearly,

And there’s nothing He can’t do.

And yes, you’ve had your losses,

Your share of life gone-wrongs,

But we all must bear our crosses,

And all of life belongs,

To Jesus Christ our Savior,

Who uses every single bit,

To heal our bad behavior,

And teach us not to quit.

If only’s cannot stop you,

Unless they steal today,

What-if’s don’t say what’s true,

It’s best to leave ‘em lay.

Take the joy in little things,

The smiles and winks and breeze,

And thankfulness within you sings,

And all your burdens ease.

Will you know each dream come true,

Yes, if it’s God’s will,

But sometimes what He has for you,

Is even better still.

All my plans I give to Him,

And all of my regrets,

Choose the right, and run from sin,

I’ll have His blessings yet.

“The Lord is like a father to His children, tender and compassionate to those who fear Him. For He knows how weak we are; He remembers we are only dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14, NLT)

it’s a good thing to remind ourselves how much God truly cares about us. He is tender and compassionate and accurately assesses our weaknesses even if we do not. Here’s the thing: He will never indulge our sin but He will deliver us from it. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and our need becomes His perfect illustration of grace. It’s not that we should excuse ourselves. But His love motivates us to say yes when He comes to bring change. The track record for most is a very mixed bag, but He loves us through it all and faithfully administers His discipline. He is an awesome father.

Lord, lead us with Your tenderness and compassion, in Jesus’ name.

Photo by Susan Sandberg Humphrey, used by permission.