“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14 NIV)

The new, “used” car that I bought just three months ago wouldn’t start the other day. The factory battery that came along with it decided that it had worked long enough and chose to take an early, permanent retirement. My kindhearted neighbor gave me a jump but the battery stubbornly wouldn’t hold the charge. After getting one more jump then I headed to the local auto parts store to buy a new one. Installing it was way more complex than we thought, however, so I took it to a local mechanic who finally got the new battery in and the car running once again.

Driving it this morning, though, I noticed that the time and date on the screen in the dashboard had suddenly gone back in time nine years, resetting to the original date of the first time it was started. While my son smartly figured out how to program it back to today I pondered about all the times I had wished I could go back in time and undo some of the mistakes and missteps I had taken in my own life.

How many of us wish that we could go back to a certain time and change things? How many of us wish that we could go back to a crossroads in our lives and take the road not taken? I know that I have wished that before. Yet, when I look back on my life today, I think that I wouldn’t change anything. Every choice I have made, every step I have taken, every road I have traveled has led me to where I am now. Yes, many of my choices have brought me pain in the past, but they have also brought me wisdom for the present. I wouldn’t want to change things if they would then change me. All that I have learned, all that I have become, comes from the roads I have taken.

When you look at your own life then don’t regret the roads not taken. Instead rejoice in the path you are on, the things you have learned, and the love you have shared. All roads lead back to God. Some are just a lot rougher than others. Keep your feet moving forward. Keep your heart towards Heaven. And take the straight path HOME. Your Loving Father awaits you there.

Joseph J. Mazzella