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| BELATED REGRETS An investigation into the sinking of the Titanic has been underway for more than fifty years. The Titanic, you may remember, the first "unsinkable" ship, rammed into an iceberg on its maiden voyage, and fifteen hundred passengers were drowned. The verdict of this lengthy investigation was that the whole tragedy is still to be considered an act of God. However, records indicate that the naval authorities in England permitted the Titanic to sail with only sixteen lifeboats aboard, just enough for the crew, whereas the law required forty-eight lifeboats. With the proper compliment of lifeboats, perhaps no lives have been lost. We can only assume that someone made that particular decision, and, instead of taking responsibility for it, the culpability was shifted to God. This particular "act of God" might be aptly labeled an "if only." We all have our "if onlys." ...If only I had not betrayed the person I love most. If only I had not told that lie in the office or in my neighborhood; If only I had worked harder at school; if only I hadn't been a party to vicious gossip. The "if onlys" are there for all of us. They are part of the human condition. A few months ago, a friend of mine had an accident on the freeway. His car was sideswiped by a sports car driven by an attractive young woman. Neither party was hurt, but the other driver was distraught. "This is a brand new car. My husband just bought it for me. He'll be heartbroken." Eventually, the police came and, in the process of exchanging registration and insurance papers, a note fell out of the glove compartment of the young woman's car. It was written by her husband and this was the message: "Darling, if you ever need to use these papers, remember that it's you I love and not the car." What foresight to reassure someone you love at a time when she needs that reassurance the most. When I heard the story, I thought to myself, "If only I were thoughtful enough to do something like that. The only cure for the "if onlys" is to believe in the sovereignty of God. The hidden call of God makes allowances for the "if onlys"...The Bible rubs our noses into the ugliness of life, and yet in it all God is present and in control and has a destiny for us....A life of faith is not free of "if onlys." We will have regrets about what we did or didn't do, but God is big enough to use those as building blocks in our lives...As we commit our lives to Him, our talents, abilities, gifts, and all we have and are, He can take even the "if onlys" and use them for good as He works out our personal destiny. By Bruce Larson, My Creator, My Friend (excerpts) ***************************************** |