What if?

"What if?" You fill in the blank. Some may go like this: 

"What if I had chosen a different career?" or "What if I had gone to a different school?" 
"What if I were prettier?" 
"What if you were in my situation?"
"What if I had married someone else?" 
"What if I had just stayed single?" 
"What if I had married that person and just settled down. At least then I would have SOMEONE."
"What if I hadn't had that abortion?"
"What if my parents would have kept me, instead of giving me up for adoption?"
"What if my parents had stayed together?
"What if I hadn't gotten that divorce?"
"What if I hadn't made that stupid mistake?"

There are so many more that could be on this list. I know that if you have a "What if", it keeps coming back and you always just wonder. Some people would never admit that these thoughts have crossed their minds, but some of these I have heard personally. Some I have wondered myself. 

Something my husband used to tell me helped a lot. I used to be a chronic "What if-er", and I think it nearly drove the poor man crazy. He told me, "Stop saying what if. Whatever you are going to say after is not reality. Just stop."

I hated when he said that. But, the truth is, he was completely right! Whatever I was wondering about was not reality and it was never going to be. What was done was done. Whatever it was, whether a regret, a wish, a comparison or whatever, it was not going to change. I learned that my "What if" was doing nothing but letting discontentment take root deeper and deeper in my heart. Discontentment is crippling. It causes you to miss the things that would otherwise bring joy. It clouds your vision. 

Discontentment is the opposite of thankfulness. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." I love how it separates the words every and thing. We are not just to give thanks for everything in general, but to give thanks for every thing specifically. That is what God wants from you and from me! 

Now, giving thanks for every thing can truly be a challenge because, as we all know, not every thing in life is lovely. But that is what God is asking of us. And He does not leave us to do it all on our own. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Give thanks through the power of Christ. We have to trust that He will give us the strength to be thankful for every thing.

Finally, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28. Every thing, the good, bad, and ugly, He has working together for good. Every thing in life is a piece of a puzzle that will one day be complete to show us His amazing masterpiece that is our lives. Every life is precious to Him. Every situation is precious to Him. Trust Him!