BROADCASTS.com

b'\\u201cThis is madness,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d I sigh, trudging uphill through the snow, my face burning, the rucksack dragging me down. I\\u2019d hoped that going to Aunt Alana\\u2019s cabin would be a retreat from the worries churning inside, but regrets still plague my thoughts.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Maya,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d a melodic voice cries out my name.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Hello?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d I call.\\nNo one\\u2019s there. But then the snow starts melting rapidly. A gleaming light revealsa banquet on a picnic table.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Maya, I\\u2019m here.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nI turn. A man\\u2019s dark eyes shine, and his ebony hands grasp my rucksack as I sit down at the table with him. Too nervous to eat, I stare at this stranger.\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153You have regretted far too long,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d he says, pouring out the rich hot chocolate. \\n\\u201cHow do you know?\\u201d I think to myself, sipping the drink, warmth flooding through me. \\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Inside your rucksack are the shells of regret,\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d he says, opening up the bag andhanding me a conch shell. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Listen to your voice.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nI put the seashell to my ear. \\u201cOh, why didn\\u2019t I listen to Skylar? She might not havemoved schools,\\u201d I hear.\\nMy breath catches in my throat, and he hands me a second shell. \\u201cI wish I\\u2019d told myNana how much I loved her.\\u201d\\nThe memory stings, and I reach for the third shell. \\u201cIf only I\\u2019d gardened for Miss Patel when she broke her arm. I let her down.\\u201d\\nMore and more shells reveal hidden worries. But then, the shells crumble and turn into shimmering raindrops around us. I gasp, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153How\\u2026?\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nMy host smiles. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Your failures have been covered by the love of One greater than you. Maya, you belong to Jesus, and His forgiveness releases you from guilt.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153But\\u2026\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d I stammer. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I let them down. I let them all down.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Yes, but even so, God was still working in their lives. He never stopped caring for them. He loves your Nana and Miss Patel and Skylar so much more than you ever could. And His love for you is deep and sure.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nTears collect in my eyes. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153I don\\u2019t know how to move on. I feel stuck.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God will help you. Tell Him your problems, your mistakes, your sins. Remember, you are imperfect, but Jesus is the perfect One. He died and rose again to forgive you and relieve your guilt. You can rest in His forgiveness and grace.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nHis soothing words break down the regrets I\\u2019ve clung to. He smiles and disappears. The scene around me changes. Picking up the rucksack with ease, I spot Aunt Alana in front of the snowcapped cabin.\\n \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Maya.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Aunt Alana hugs me. \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Come on in.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\nOn my lips I can still taste the hot chocolate, but the regrets and bitterness have vanished. \\u2022 Cindy Lee\\n\\u2022 Psalm 51:17 says, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153God, you will not despise a broken and contrite heart.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Can you think of a time you felt regret? How might God be inviting you to come to Him?\\n\\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I [Jesus] will give you rest.\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d Matthew 11:28 (WEB)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nRom.10.9-Rom.10.15|2Cor.5.11-2Cor.5.21|Col.4.3-Col.4.6'