Earlier this month, we heard/read stories about the victims of 9/11 from family and friends. Some of these stories included the thoughts of “if only.” “If only my spouse hadn’t delayed their trip because of my birthday.” “If only my wife wasn’t anxious to be home again.” “If only I hadn’t asked my sister to watch my children she wouldn’t have switched schedules.” “If only… If only.”
Our lives are full of “If only” moments, too. As youth we wonder, “If only I had studied for that exam instead of…. If only I had listened to my teacher and my parents.” As adults, how often do we find ourselves saying, “If only I had been more careful with my words or my actions. If only I had listened to my parents, my significant other, my friends.” As parents we admonish ourselves, “If only I had spent more time listening to my children” or we reprimand our children, “If only you had listened to me.”
In Scripture, God tells the Israelites that if only they had paid attention to his commandments, “your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grain” (Isaiah 48).
All these “If only” thoughts and words look backwards at what had happened and cannot be changed. What if, instead, we take those words and leverage our “If only” moments to build our future words and actions? What if they become our prayer? What if God uses these occasions for springboards?
If only you help me stop and listen, I will help my children, my partner, and my friends.
If only you open my eyes to see the weak or the suffering, I will help.
If only you give me an awareness to see someone in trouble, I will offer the helping hand.
If only your Holy Spirit stirs me to believe, then anything will be possible. In Mark’s account, Jesus tells us that “Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
At Lord of Life, our members help put these “If only” moments into action. Through our various ministries, help is extended to groups such as Family Promise, Stepping Forward, and Reach out Lakota. We support organizations that offer the helping hand such as Faith Alliance and The Fringe. Each summer, some of our youth and adults participate in ASP (Appalachian Service Project). We offer our space to outside groups like AA, Al-Anon, and the Scouts.There are many other examples, each playing an important role in helping Lord of Life live out our mission to “Live, Share, and Celebrate God’s love through Jesus Christ,”
For each of us as Christians, which “If only” interpretation are we experiencing in our lives? Prayerfully, we need to look to where our time and talents can lead us to these new “If only” moments, whether it is donating food to the Reach Out Lakota food pantry, helping serve meals at Stepping Forward , participating in activities supporting marginalized groups. Or maybe it is offering support within Lord of Life by praying, teaching, or simply listening to those around us. It only requires that first step aided with prayer and I think you will find that the old “If only” has been replace with a new perspective.
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2).
Yours in Christ,
Denise Krallman