Choosing Grace Over Regret

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Posted on January 17, 2026 by Sheryl Driggers

It has been a minute since I last wrote on this site. Seasons have changed, life has unfolded in unexpected ways, and God has continued His quiet, faithful work in me. I’m grateful you’re here as I return to this space with a deeper dependence, and a renewed desire to reflect on grace, formation, and the presence of God in ordinary life.

I choose not to live in regret.

There are days I still get caught in the guilt of past mistakes. Years ago, I would stay there, replaying them over and over and over. Condemnation would creep in, shame would follow close behind, and sometimes anger would take over. I know now that those voices never led me toward life.

As a mom, there are moments when I ache for the days when my kids were younger. I worked from home while they were growing up, juggling responsibility and presence the best I could. Recently, I watched old home videos the kids had created while I was working. Their laughter, silliness, and pure joy made my whole being smile. It brought back memories that were both funny and precious. I loved that season. I cherish that time. I was able to work, help provide for our household, and still be near them in ways I will always be grateful for.

And still, there are moments when specific parenting mistakes surface in my mind. There are times I wish I could rewind, respond differently, choose better words, show more patience. What I am learning, slowly and honestly, is that perfection was never the goal.

What matters is that my kids experience humility.

That they hear me say, “I’m sorry.”

That they see me ask for forgiveness.

God’s grace doesn’t give us permission to live however we want. But as my pastor often says, the grace of Jesus is far greater than the sin in me. That truth has steadied my heart more times than I can count.

Thank you, Jesus.

I find myself in a season of transition in many areas of life. Even so, I hold this belief: the best is still to come. God has plans for me. For many years, my identity was tightly wrapped around being a business owner, a mom, an entrepreneur. None of those roles were wrong. Many of them were good and life-giving. But somewhere along the way, they became the measure of my worth.

As I sit here today, I no longer own the business that once owned every part of my being. I poured my life into it. Sweat, blood, tears. My kids are both in college now, and my role as a mom has shifted into a new normal, one that is tender and still unfolding.

I could sit here and lament the passing of former seasons, or I can choose trust.

I wonder how many of us are standing at that same crossroads

I am choosing to believe that God still has plans for me, and that He is just as present in this chapter as He was in the ones before it.

Layer by layer, God has been gently revealing how my hopes, rhythms, practices, and identity were shaped more by society’s definition of success than by His voice.

Recently, I completed a five-month women’s leadership cohort. Through required reading, I encountered the writings of John Mark Comer and Dallas Willard. Their words felt like lights being turned on in rooms I didn’t realize were dark. Another layer peeled back. Another invitation to pay attention.

We are all being formed.

The question is not if we are being formed, but by what.

We are either being formed by the world or by our Father.

I began taking an honest look at my daily, weekly, monthly, and annual rhythms. Were they transforming me into the image of Jesus, or quietly conforming me to this world? One small habit stood out immediately. Reaching for my phone before my feet even touched the floor. Emails before prayer. Noise before stillness. That habit has changed, and the shift has been meaningful.

Small practices shape us more than we realize.

No matter where you are in your life, Jesus meets you there. Not after you fix yourself. Not once you’ve figured it all out. Right there.

This morning, a dear friend texted me a prayer from Ephesians 3:15–20. It washed over me with a fresh meaning, and I offer it to you as well, wherever you find yourself today:

May His mighty power be at work within you, accomplishing infinitely more than you might ask or think.

Grace over regret. Formation over performance. Presence over perfection.

Your story is still being written.

Do The Next Right Thing

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Sheryl Driggers

Some nights I go to bed with a tightness in my chest.

Not because I don’t love God.
Not because I don’t care about obedience.
But because I’m deeply aware of where I fall short.

I replay the day in my head. The moments I gave in to my flesh. The prayers I rushed. The worries I carried instead of surrendered. I ask God to forgive me. To purify my heart and my mind. I want to walk in victory. I want peace. I want to trust Him with my kids and how I steward what He’s entrusted to me, and all the other things I keep trying to carry on my own. I want to stop carrying burdens I was never created to carry.

And still, I often end the day wondering if I disappointed Him.

When everything feels heavy and tangled, one simple phrase keeps bringing me back to center:

Do the next right thing.

Not everything at once.
Not tomorrow.
Not fixing my whole life.

Just the next faithful step.

When Trying Harder Isn’t Working

For a long time, I assumed this tension meant I wasn’t doing enough. That victory would come if I prayed more, worried less, got more disciplined, figured it out.

Then I spent time in Romans 7.

Paul describes a struggle that feels uncomfortably familiar:

“I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate… Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” (Romans 7:15, 24 NLT)

This isn’t a hard heart.

It’s an honest one.

Paul isn’t someone who doesn’t care about holiness. He loves God’s law. His frustration comes from realizing that wanting to do right isn’t the same as having the power to do it. The law can show us what’s good, but it can’t make us good.

And that’s where so many of us live. We love God. We want to obey Him. And we’re exhausted from trying to be better versions of ourselves.

Victory Isn’t About Striving

Romans 7 doesn’t end with a self-improvement plan. It ends with a Savior.

“Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:25)

Then Paul immediately says:

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

That sentence changes everything.

Victory in the Christian life is not achieved through striving. It is received through abiding.

Romans 8:13 says that real life comes when, through the power of the Spirit, we put to death the deeds of the flesh. I used to read that and quietly translate it into “try harder.” But that’s not what it’s saying.

Abiding doesn’t mean I finally get strong enough.
It means I stay close enough.

Close enough to notice when my heart starts drifting.
Close enough to turn back before shame takes over.
Close enough to whisper, “Jesus, I need You right now,” instead of promising I’ll do better tomorrow.

Most days, abiding looks very ordinary. It looks like stopping mid-spiral. It looks like choosing honesty over hiding. It looks like doing the next right thing instead of fixing everything at once.

I’m learning that obedience doesn’t grow from white-knuckling my way through temptation. It grows when I don’t run from God in my weakness, when I stay connected instead of self-condemning, and when I let the Spirit meet me where I actually am, not where I think I should be by now.

As I’ve been sitting with this, I’m realizing that whether abiding feels like rest or pressure often depends on something deeper: how I actually see God.

How We See God Shapes How We Live

I know, in my head, that God is loving and gracious and patient. I believe He is kind. But if I’m honest, I often feel His justice and jealousy more than His tenderness. And when that happens, I start relating to Him like a disappointed supervisor instead of a loving Father.

When I believe God is mostly watching for my mistakes, I become harder on myself. I become quicker to judge others. I strive. I hide. I carry shame instead of peace.

But when I remember that God is slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and already aware of my weakness, something shifts. I stop trying to earn His approval and start living from it. I become more patient with myself. More compassionate with others. More willing to stay in the light instead of retreating into fear.

What we believe about God doesn’t just shape our theology. It shapes how we see ourselves and how we treat the people around us. And healing often begins not with fixing our behavior, but with seeing Him rightly.

We Were Never Meant to Walk This Alone

Another truth God keeps bringing me back to is this: I was never created to live this life in isolation.

My pastor, Joby Martin, talks about “mat carriers,” the friends in Mark 2 who carried a paralyzed man to Jesus when he couldn’t get there on his own. Jesus healed the man when He saw their faith.

That story dismantles the idea that maturity means independence.

Scripture tells us:

“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

Confession isn’t about punishment. It’s about light. Sin grows best in secrecy. It loses power when it’s brought into the open, named honestly, and met with grace.

One commentary I once read said we should treat sin like a poisonous snake instead of candy. We don’t play with it. We don’t see how close we can get. We flee.

And often, fleeing looks very practical. It looks like calling a trusted friend. Setting boundaries. Removing access. Saying out loud, “I’m struggling,” before we fall instead of after.

Doing the Next Right Thing, Practically

Here are a few ways I’m learning to live this out, imperfectly but intentionally:

Naming temptation without shaming myself
Turning toward God in the moment instead of hiding
Removing access instead of relying on willpower
Surrounding myself with people who love Jesus and love me enough to ask honest questions
Confessing early, before sin has time to grow roots

None of this earns God’s love.
It simply keeps me close to the One who already gave it.

Grace for Today

Doing the next right thing doesn’t mean having the whole path figured out. It means trusting that obedience is learned step by step, hand in hand with Jesus.

If you feel tired, anxious, or discouraged in your walk with God, hear this: your struggle is not proof of failure. It may actually be evidence that the Spirit is at work, gently teaching you how to stop striving and start abiding.

You don’t need to carry the mat alone.
You don’t need to fix yourself before coming to Jesus.
You don’t need to conquer tomorrow today.

Just do the next right thing.

When the Battle is Bigger Than You

Posted on June 22, 2019 by Sheryl Driggers

As I was studying this week, I found myself in 2 Chronicles 20. I read, re-read, and re-read and as I continued to read this chapter the Holy Spirit spoke to me (not audibly) and said this is how to fight battles that are bigger than you. I feel like I have been in battles bigger than me for over 2 years. As I continued to read this chapter, I began to journal on how I have victory over battles that are waging war against me. It does not look like what culture tells us. We don’t have to carry the weight of the outcome of these battles. Yet, that is where I find myself each day. It is so ingrained in me to go figure out how to fix it all; go, do, be, get it done, figure it out, get it checked off, get it resolved, come up with a solution. Please don’t get me wrong, there are times and places for all of that in one context or another, but that is not the formula for success or for victory in the battles we face. We all have battles, they look different, but we all have battles. Maybe a marriage falling apart, a child who is making one bad decision after another, maybe a financial battle, maybe it is at work or maybe a diagnosis that feels like a punch in the gut and you don’t know how to quite catch your breath. What I found in 2 Chronicles 20; is how I desire to fight my battles.

We see in this passage, King Jehoshaphat was told that an army was coming against him.

The first thing Jehoshaphat did was Resolved to inquire of the LORD. He decided the first thing He was going to do was go to God. Not try everything on His own, then go to God when He couldn’t figure it out.

The second thing we see is Jehoshaphat Pray. In his prayer we see him:

Remind God of who God is – “Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, no one can withstand you.

Next, he Reminds God of what He has done in the past – He says “Our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel…” For me, I see this as more reminding myself what God has done in the past. Reminding myself of all the times God has delivered me, protected, blessed and provided. It is so easy to forget, especially amid the turmoil.

Then we see him Proclaim to God that we will cry out to Him – “We will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to You in our distress, and You will hear us and save us.”

Now he Declares to God, we will keep our eyes on You – He says “For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

Then we see the LORD speak! The first thing we see Him say is

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. God knows us so deeply. He knows how fear overcomes us. He is speaking to us today, do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast ____________. You fill in the blank. What is it for you? Read it again, do not be afraid or discouraged because of whatever it is that is in front of you. Whatever that is sitting in front of you that is bigger than you can possibly face on your own; do not be afraid.

Then God says “For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Now put your battle in that context. It is not yours! It is God’s!

For a long time at this point, I thought okay the battle is God’s so let me go hide and let Him fight. But that is not what He says here. Immediately after saying to them the battle is not yours, but Mine. He says, “Tomorrow march down against them.” Now in my mind, I’m sitting here saying, What? You just told me the battle is not mine but Yours, and you want me to march down against them? And then the light bulb went off! Yes, march down! We see this all through scripture. We see Abraham march down with Isaac (trust and faith in God), we see the Israelites march around the city of Jericho (trust and faith in God), we see David march down against Goliath (trust and faith in God).

God then says, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.” Then He repeats again, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” “Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” What is it that we have not been willing to face because of fear, maybe pride?

Now I really get excited to see how God delivered them. It says some of them stood up and praised the LORD, in a very loud voice. As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against their enemy. When we sing and Praise the LORD, it unleashes God’s army to fight our battles.

As I continued to study this chapter, I began asking God, what am I hiding from? The “easy” part is to declare and proclaim it is God’s battle, but there is more. We must march down, take our positions, stand firm and watch the LORD deliver us. What is it that I am hiding from because I don’t feel qualified or I am afraid? Go face it and watch the LORD’s deliverance.

Mix – Raise A Hallelujah (LIVE) – Bethel Music | VICTORY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awkO61T6i0k&list=RDawkO61T6i0k

Expectant and Ready

Aside

Yesterday afternoon as I was working, hunger pains hit every fiber of my body in an instant. Literally, one minute, I was focused on the tasks at hand and the next I was overcome by hunger. As I looked at the clock, I realized it was three in the afternoon and my body was ready for fuel. It was pouring rain, so driving somewhere was out of the question; therefore, I quickly ordered pizza to be delivered. As I worked and waited for the pizza to arrive, minutes felt like hours.

I was working at a warehouse that was not marked well from the street, thus I knew I needed to keep an eye out for the driver. I ran outside every couple of minutes looking back and forth from side to side, thinking surely, they will be here soon. I lost count of how many times I ran from the table where I was working to outside in the rain, expectantly and eagerly looking for the pizza driver. I was confident they would arrive, I just didn’t know when.

As I was standing in the rain desperately searching for this driver, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, this is how I want you to look for Me. Of course, I tried to rationalize with Him, I do look for You. He, gently spoke, not with this eagerness. As I marinated on this thought the rest of the afternoon and until today, it hit me. I don’t look for Him with that sense of urgency. Setting my heart towards Him in the morning is something I have become to long for, but once the stress hits of the day, honestly, I don’t search for Him. I don’t search eagerly to hear Him, to see Him. Instead, I let the distractions of stress from work, from frustrating circumstances, from the messiness of life to be my focus. I’ve got a to do list a mile long and I can’t stop to search for Him, I’ve got too much to do. Really Sheryl? That is the conversation I had with myself as blinders were removed from my heart and eyes and I begin to understand.

He longs for me to eagerly search for Him. He longs for me to live in obedience to Him. But how can I live in obedience to Him, if I am focused on so many things other than Him? How can I possibly hear Him, if I instead fill my life with the noise of circumstances, to do lists, demands, hurts, and bitterness. My list could go on and on. My prayer today is that I would be like Habakkuk. Habakkuk 2:1 says I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. Let that resonate, I will stand at my watch and look to see what He will say to me. Oh, how I will trade the stresses of this life to stand watch, look to see what He will say and then be obedient. Why is it after all God has done, I continue to think I know best, I can fix things, I can do it on my own. I am so thankful my God is a merciful, loving, and patient Father.

After Pictures from our February 2016 Remodel of God’s Children Orphanage in Haiti

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Sheryl Driggers

Here are just a few pictures of the remodel we did at God’s Children Orphanage in Haiti February 2016. We are excited to go back to Haiti in November of this year to remodel another orphanage in Haiti and provide a safe and comfortable home for these beautiful children.

The pictures below are a few “before” pictures of the Orphanage.

Missions Trip to Haiti November 2016

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Sheryl Driggers

We are excited for another opportunity to go to Haiti November 9-14, 2016. We held our first Google Hangout Call for those interested in joining us on this trip. This is the recording of the call for those who were not able to join us live. If you are interested in going to Haiti with us or would like more information about the trip, please email me at SherylDriggers@gmail.com

Orphanage in Haiti

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Sheryl Driggers

In just a couple of short weeks I will be traveling back to Haiti to work along side Hands International organization in what is being called an Extreme Orphanage Makeover. We will be working at the orphanage God’s Children which is currently the home to about 20 beautiful children. You will see in these pictures the current living conditions.

We are excited to spend the week with these beautiful children, share the hope of Jesus with them and transform their a home to a healthy living space. Supplies have been donated, shipped and awaiting for our arrival in Haiti.

This orphanage was started July of 2012 by David Baptiste and is the newest partnering orphanage with Hands International. David pours his heart and soul in efforts to provide for these children both physically and spiritually. Now with over 20 children he struggles to find the monthly support to provide the basic necessities of food and clothes.

Our goal is to have each and everyone of these children sponsored by time we arrive in Haiti on February 14th. Would you be willing to help?

If you would like to support a child you may due so by giving a monthly contribution. The cost for David to provide for child with all necessities for one month is $50. For more information visit http://www.handsint.org/godschildren/

Jesula

Lessons I am Learning from David

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Sheryl Driggers

Studying through the book of 1 Samuel, I’ve noticed a repeated pattern of David to “inquire of the Lord” when faced with decisions to make. What really resonated with me was reading through these passages and imagining me in those circumstances, I think it would have been easy to react to situations with what “felt” right in the heat of the moment. A number of these decisions came from the constant threat of being killed by the King of that time, King Saul. Saul would gather thousands of men to go search for and kill David. And when David would find out, he would “inquire of the Lord”. He would talk to God, the God of Israel and say “I pray tell your servant”.

Now if I was being hunted and feared death, I’m not sure I would take time to “inquire of the Lord”. I would either run for dear life or try to gather my own thousand men army to fight. After all, isn’t that what makes sense? I can’t tell you how many times I have been faced with decisions; ones I felt were pressing and had to be made in reactionary fashion and just made them. Not once, “inquiring of the Lord”. After all, decisions have to be made and lets get them made and move on, right. Evaluate the circumstances, figure out what makes sense, and do it.

But that is not what scripture teaches, we see even Jesus go to God in prayer before making decisions. Look in Luke 6. We see Jesus went away to pray all night before day came where He chose His twelve apostles. 12It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 13And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:…

So today, my prayer is I would slow down, and learn to “inquire of the Lord” with everything. Not just some things, not just the things I can’t figure out on my own, but also go to Him with the ones I think I have figured out on my own.

Christmas In Haiti

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Sheryl Driggers

Universal Collision Center will be collecting items for Christmas Hope Packs for Haiti the entire month of September. These packs will be shipped to Haiti in October in order to be ready for distribution during the month of December.

We are working with the non-profit organization, Hands International to provide these special Christmas packs to the families in 3 villages of Haiti, Duclos, Piatre and Montrouis.

Duclos is a mountain community with no vehicle access. We take the mountain road as far as we can and then make the 2 hour hike up the mountain. Duclos has no power, water, school or any good sustaining structure to help it survive. It is a very poor community that desperately needs to see Gods hand extended to it.

Piatre a mountain community where Hands International partnered with Pastor Sidor and started a school back in 2011. We are working this summer to expand the school in order to provide classes for the 3rd and 4th grade children. Currently, 3 classes meet in the church building and the others outside under tarps. This is a farming community where they work the land by hand growing the crops on the sides of the mountains.

The third location is in Montrouis, a coastal community. This area has limited access to power and very little access to clean water.

Why do Christmas in Haiti?

Christmas is a time of giving! God gave us His greatest gift at Christmas and has given us the privilege of showing others that God Loves them.

There will be a missions trip in December 2014 where these Hope Packs will be distributed. The missions trip will include:

1. Give out Hope Packs to children in all 3 communities – These bags will contain a Bible, shoes, underwear, T shirt, shorts, tooth brushes a toy and other special items.

2. Distribute large food supplies for needy families – Rice, Beans, Oil etc.

3. Celebration – We will host a Jesus Birthday Celebration that will include Music, Preaching and fun games for the kids.

SO, HERE IS WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU!

1.Choose the age and gender

2-4 years boy or girl
5-10 years boy or girl
11-14 years boy or girl

2. Gather items requested: Shoes, T-Shirt, Shorts, Toothbrushes, toy and other special items

3. Put into a plastic bag or box

4. Include a $15 donation ( to cover the back pack and shipping)

5. Turn into Universal Collision by September 30th. (There are 2 Universal Collision locations in Tallahassee – 2751 W. Tennessee Street and 1627 Capital Circle NE)

T25

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Sheryl Driggers

Over the last several weeks I have been doing the workout program T25 with a friend of mine. We get together each morning, plug in the T25 DVD for the day and work hard. Shawn T, who leads the workout, says each morning, give me the best 25 minutes of your day, because this is the most important 25 minutes you will spend each day.

Now, I love to work out, I don’t have many hobbies so I would say fitness ranks as a hobby for me. But, as much as I love working out, I love how it makes me feel, I love the pain that comes along with it, because I know it is working, it is not the most important 25 minutes of my day. The most important 25 minutes of my day is my time with God.

As much as I want to stay in shape physically, I rather be in better spiritual health. The time I spend alone with God trumps everything else. There is nothing more fulfilling, nothing more energizing, nothing that can create the peace that comes from spending time with Him. I want to know Him better, I want Him to transform me, I want Him to guide me and I don’t want to miss what He has to say.

But please don’t get me wrong, I have days where life gets busy and the first thing that is dismissed from my schedule is my quiet time with God. Why? When I know it is the source of everything I need for each day. And then I wonder why I can’t figure out what the right decision is, or why I lose my patience so quickly, or why I can’t seem to get focused.

I am learning, I am a work in progress, I am so thankful His mercies are made new everyday. I am so thankful He meets me where I am. I am so thankful He will never leave me or forsake me. I am so thankful He is El Roi – the God who sees me, El Shaddai – the All Sufficient One, Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider, Jehovah-Raah, my Shepherd.