The pang of regret: the words I wish I’d added into my book that I can’t add now.

Lately, I’ve been feeling the pang of regret. The regret stems from the fact that potentially my book had caused married hearts to wish they had something else.  Despising their own marriage.

Ouch.

Mostly everyone who has had a sticky beak into Daughter Wait has shared that they wished they’d read a book like mine earlier in their life. I expected this from those who were single, dating, waiting, I wrote the book for them after all. But the surprise has been how many married girls have ordered, read and loved Daughter Wait.

“Your book drew me closer to Jesus, helped me refocus to what it’s all about. I can’t wait to share it with my kids one day. I loved it. Thank you.”

But then there are some interactions that have sat haunting me in the corners of my mind. I’d love to shed some light on these corners right here if that’s ok?

“I wish I had read a book like yours before I got married. Maybe life would look a lot different for me if that was the case…”

And the unspoken words suggest that perhaps what they have now is not God’s best.

It feels like a stab to the heart even as I type it. The thought that I contributed to this feeling within someone else’s heart is heavy. Instantly I wish I could go back and write a disclaimer in the book. I’d go back and add in:

All relationships would be better with Jesus at the centre, from the beginning, I get it. But in addition to this, I am confident that Jesus can make something beautiful out of whatever pieces of our life we offer Him.

Regardless of where you are at, today, this minute, regardless of any regret and wherever your decisions have led you to this point He, Jesus, is in the business of restoration, miracles, hope, purpose and beauty.

Loveless marriage? I believe it can be revived.
Broken heart? You will sing again.

Don’t know where to go from here? Trust Him with your next step, and the next, and the next. Just watch where He takes you.

He is the master builder of our lives.

I believe in the sanctity of marriage. For those who have read Daughter Wait and long for a better marriage, I am choosing to put my faith towards believing that God can work all things (ALL THINGS) together for good.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

What I know is that God, our God, our loving Father in heaven, is FOR YOU.

My soul is singing these words over you right now:

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life

If there were dreams that were lofty and noble
They were my dreams at the start
And hope for life’s best were the hopes that I harbour
Deep down in my heart
But my dreams turned to ashes
And my castles all crumbled, my fortune turned to loss
So I wrapped it all in the rags of life and laid it at the cross

-Bill Gaither

Our only response in every season is to lay our lives at the Cross.

Praying for you, that you will trust Him with the pieces of your life, today, now and forever.

In love,

Carly Riordan
Carly Riordan Author
If you would like to order a copy of Daughter Wait and receive it before Christmas jump in quick. The last two prints have been sold before they have even arrived.
Daughter Wait Book

Daughter Wait! is an invitation to consider a different approach to dating and relationships. If you have ever wondered:

How do I have a Godly relationship?
How do I know if he is the one?
What are realistic boundaries in a Christian relationship?
How do I move on from a broken heart?

Then this book is for you.

Within these pages are my most vulnerable and heartbreaking moments, along with the powerful revelations and realisations that set my heart on a new course. It is a warning of the perils of dating and a reminder of the promises of a Godly relationship.

Written in Carly’s unique conversational style, you’ll cry, laugh and cheer as you follow her story of love and loss. Daughter Wait is a timeless reminder that regardless of your past, God has the best for your future.

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