No regrets ...!

As parents in the midst of "releasing" our daughter to create her own home with Adam we take a moment to look back in the rear view mirror of life and smile with contentment and joy. This post is a counter-balance to an earlier post with thots on if we had to do it over I listed regrets I have as a dad. Today, I begin to list "no regrets" with the full expectation of adding to it over the next several weeks. I suspect that Friday's wedding will stir emotions, feelings and reflections for days and weeks to come.

Kristi, we have no regrets ...

• your safe arrival into our family 9/7/86 (enough said)
  
• violin lessons (starting with the toy sweeper handle)
• letting your brothers tickle torture you, lovingly tease you, teaching you to drive after church (without our knowledge), and countless other ways they "loved" on you
• releasing you to Living Water so your heart's desire of growing in living and active faith could be met
  
• hanging up your basketball shoes after 9th grade
• 4 years of volleyball at Malone, especially with not talking you out of playing your senior year (not an easy time, but you finished!)
• allowing your boyfriend situations to work themselves out (you demonstrated your ability to make choices which honor your faith commitment)
• laughing and teasing you over the many contorted ways you could sit on the couch
• your wedding in our backyard :-)
• 
  

We will shed a few tears this Friday and in the days to come because we are well-pleased with who Kristi has become as a young woman. Life is not a carefully lived blueprint rather it is the dynamic interplay of choices and responses to all the good, challenges, blessing and disappointments we continue to make. II Peter 1:3-11 is an important word of encouragement and instructions for us as we increase in faith and faithfulness to the way of Jesus.

PS: I wonder ... as children of God, what "no regrets" does God have as he watches us journey through life? Once again I celebrate God's grace with us and desire to live in that grace with others.