Don't Rue The Past; Rule The Future!

I used to spend a lot of time at a site in its 40-Something portion and I coined that phrase in response to a topic about Regret. Of course, some of my people thought that I had misspelled the word rue, making the sentence redundant until I had them look up the word.

All of our lives have been one long flow with trickles at some points with raging torrents in others but all along the way, the path that was carved out will remain forever. There may have been some tributaries that fed our stream with influences from other people's streams and together, mountains may have been humbled while entirely new islands were created.

The thundering waterfall of your life today makes sounds heard off on the horizon and draws others to the symphony of your newly created river. Together, we have created canyons and oceans, mighty and deep!

My life contains many regrettable events and sometimes I look back on them and literally cringe at what I've done. The damage done to people, and myself, in my youth was considerable in some cases; yet, on the other hand, the positive influences that resulted and the lessons learned hopefully will outweigh the negatives.

Last night, we were hosted by a lovely woman on Black Planet, HopeFourToday, who has a SPECTACULAR condo overlooking downtown Baltimore. The view is one to die for (here are Olu's pictures!) and we had a wonderful evening with great food, playing cards, watching movies, and just enjoying the fellowship of our on-line friends; friendships made complete by meeting and becoming closer friends offline.

In the room, I'm sure there were many life stories that could be interpreted as regrettable flows yet now existing as peaceful harbors. We naturally strive to create these back harbors where we are protected from the raging storms and to create a peace that, in its tranquility, belies the hurricanes that helped to create it.

On the way to the party, SmittyB003 said something that is the genesis of this blog today. She said that she always tried to teach her children to "never create regret." My God, what a phrase! The power of that admonishment is astounding in its simplicity.

"Never Create Regret"

Can you imagine what would happen if we only took the time to think about our next move; to do due diligence before proceeding? Maybe not the smaller moves as they can "just happen" some times and may add a certain zest to life, but the larger ones...the ones that involve other people's lives and what the impact of that decision could mean in years to come?

"Never Create Regret"

There is no need to go back and needlessly worry about what one has done before. That's a neurotic's paradise. However, we all have a chance--right now--to shape a future that contains promise, possible prosperity, and certainly a kind of peace that would be "of our making!"

Don't rue the past; Rule the future!

Do you think you can shed that past this morning, this afternoon, or this week, and be a positive influence on YOUR future? Do you think you can live a life where you essentially do not create regret for yourself?

Dr. Martin Luther King in his Drum Major for Justice sermon said:

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto him saying, ‘Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.’ And he said unto them, ‘What would ye that I should do for you?’ And they said unto him, ‘Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.’ But Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye know not what ye ask: Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ And they said unto him, ‘We can.’ And Jesus said unto them, ‘Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.’" (emphasis added)

I want to thank Smitty for that phrase; I believe it will stay with me forever! Amazing!

I want to thank my Yahoo 360 family for being part of a life that is no longer living in the past tense but is future perfect (you like that, Lis and Goosie? *grin*).

Again, from Dr. King's sermon:

If I can help somebody as I pass along,

If I can cheer somebody with a word or song,

If I can show somebody he's traveling wrong,

Then my living will not be in vain.

If I can do my duty as a Christian ought,

If I can bring salvation to a world once wrought,

If I can spread the message as the master taught,

Then my living will not be in vain.

Yes, Jesus, I want to be on your right or your left side, not for any selfish reason. I want to be on your right or your left side, not in terms of some political kingdom or ambition. But I just want to be there in love and in justice and in truth and in commitment to others, so that we can make of this old world a new world. (again, emphasis added)

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If I were to die today, I would want someone to read at my homegoing celebration that I tried to live a life without regret...that I tried to create a world where I was a safe harbor for my friends...that I did not rue my past but I tried to rule my future with love and kindness for those with whom I came in contact. Let it be known that my body of water contained all of you.

Today is our day, my friends...with love and kindness, attention and care, sun and definitely the rain, we can grow a life that is splendidly lush, emotionally nutritional, and a virtual work of art in the matchless name of Jesus, The Christ.

Thanks!

Donny

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