A Place to Leave Your Regrets
I recently wrote about going nuts, as a first year teacher, trying to organize the flow of papers moving to and from my desk. Thanks to the advice of a veteran teacher, I actually heard these words from a student a few days ago: Wow, you’re so organized.
Oh yeah. I got organized, because a fellow teacher told me to direct students where to put their papers besides on my desk.
Do you know the saying “a place for everything and everything in its place”? That goes for all your baggage, too. You need a place to put it.
If you’re like me, you’re just sitting there, minding your own business, when a gate opens in your mind and lets loose a traffic jam of bad memories –things you wish you hadn’t done or said. Places you wish you hadn’t gone. People you failed. They stack up like paperwork unless you know where to put them immediately.
Picture a set of double doors.
Double doors on the left: Human court. Your mom is on the jury, and your boss and your husband, kids, employer, 2nd-grade teacher, and middle-school boyfriend. All of them voting in on your guilt and shame. The verdict is guilty, but there’s never a ruling. You leave.
The next time the gate opens and memories flood, you go back to human court. Maybe today you are the jury. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. But no ruling. You leave.
The next time the gate opens and memories flood, you go back to human court.
In and out.
In and out.
Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.
Never settled. Only a reconvening.
Double doors on the right: You reach for the handle and find it locked.
May I help you? the janitor asks.
Yes, I need to go to court. I…um…did some bad things.
He says, Weren’t you already here once, a few years ago?
You say, Well, yes, but…
He says, Acquitted?
Well, yes, but…
Why you back here, ma’am? Everything was finished up nice ‘n tidy on your first visit, right?
Well, yes.
One set of double doors where guilt and shame pile up higher than papers on the desk of a first-year teacher. One set of double doors where Jesus quietly slipped your skeletons into his closet. Because of this, we can say with Paul:
I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself…It is the Lord who judges me. (1 Corinthians 4:3,4 NIV)
Are you filled with regrets? Go right every time. Find in Jesus your freedom from shame.
Oh this was SO what I needed today. I’ve just subscribed and was searching for posts on ‘guilt’…thank you. Reminds me of an excellent sermon by Tim Keller on our Advocate. Thank you for this timely gospel truth!
Tim Keller is one of my favorites! I’m so glad you were encouraged. Nice to meet you! 🙂
So well written!
Thank you!
Powerful and I am crying. Thank you for allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your words.
This image of the two courtrooms has changed my life. So glad if God has used it to touch you, too.