Wishing for Rewind

Yesterday, after having a little fender bender, all I wanted was a rewind button. I kept thinking how nice it would be to go back just a few seconds, correct my course, clear my mind, and avoid the whole thing. It is funny how easily we can do that when we are watching a show. We can rewind, fast forward, pause, and replay. With a simple click, we can revisit what we missed or skip what we do not want to sit through.

Life does not work that way. There is no going back to redo a moment, and there is no skipping ahead to the part where everything settles and makes sense. Yesterday, standing there shaken and overwhelmed, I felt that truth more than ever.

But as the day unfolded, I realized something else. Even though life does not give us rewind or fast forward, it does give us the chance to reflect. Reflection lets me look back with clearer eyes, not to punish myself, but to understand what was happening inside me. My thoughts were crowded, the roads were unfamiliar, and the weight I was carrying was heavy. 

The truck driver was kind. My car was still drivable. My family prayed for me. I was not alone. Protection wrapped itself around the moment even though it did not go the way I wanted. And maybe that is the real gift. Not the ability to rewind, but the ability to learn, breathe, and keep going.

My quote of the day said, “Better an oops than a what if.” I think that is true. An oops can be repaired. A what if lingers. Yesterday reminded me that mistakes happen, but grace meets us there. Inconvenience is temporary, but protection is a blessing worth noticing.

I still wish life had a rewind button. But maybe what God gives us instead, mercy and reflection and the strength to move forward, is even better, not easier, but most likely better.