(You can listen to Bailey Zimmerman’s song, “Religiously,” through this music video. This blog entry focuses on many of the themes expressed in the lyrics.)
I once dated a woman I’ll call Rachel. She was everything I needed, even if I did not realize it at the time—faithful, grounded, hardworking, deeply kind, and rooted in her walk with Christ. Rachel did not just believe in me. She believed in the man I could become. She supported my dreams, prayed for me daily, and reminded me that God had a purpose for my life. But I was too distracted to see it. At the time, I had a fixed idea of what I thought love should look like, chasing a media-fueled image of beauty that had nothing to do with real substance or spiritual partnership. I was searching for blonde hair, blue eyes, and a show-stopping entrance instead of appreciating the quiet, enduring beauty already standing beside me.
And so, I walked away. I left behind someone who was truly wife material, someone who would have walked through life with me hand in hand. And I did it all in pursuit of an illusion I never actually found.
The Mayor’s Words
Months passed, and I found myself emotionally drained and spiritually unsettled. I had chased distractions, made poor decisions, and felt like I was going in circles. One day, I shared Rachel’s story with an older man people nicknamed “Mayor” for his wisdom. Mayor resided in the college town where I lived, and he developed a benevolent reputation for helping students in need. He had a way of listening that made individuals feel seen and a way of speaking that cut through to the heart.
“That kind of girl sounds like a keeper,” he said. “She’s one in a million.”
I nodded, the truth settling heavy in my chest. I had let go of someone irreplaceable.
With trembling hands and a heart full of regret, I showed up at Rachel’s workplace with flowers and an apology. I poured out everything I had held inside —how I had failed to see her value, how I had changed, how I wanted another chance.
But she had already moved on.
She told me with grace and calm assurance that she was in a different place now, and she wished me well. And just like that, the door was closed.
In Bailey Zimmerman’s song “Religiously,” there’s a moment when he sings about feeling like life has lost its meaning because he let go of the one person who believed in him. He describes sitting in the back of a church, praying—not out of peace or clarity, but out of heartbreak. That image resonates deeply. I prayed too, but not out of thanksgiving. I prayed because I realized I had lost something I could not get back.
We do this, don’t we? We beg God for guidance, for blessing, for love. And when those things come into our lives quietly and patiently, we fail to recognize them for what they are. We chase the flashy instead of the faithful. We ignore the substance while we chase the spark. And sometimes, by the time we realize what we have lost, it is too late to recover it.
Scripture warns us not to take God's blessings for granted. Proverbs 10:22 reminds us that “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.” True blessings do not come through frantic striving. Instead, they are often steady, gentle, and deeply rooted in peace. Rachel was a gift I did not fully appreciate until it was too late.
Zimmerman reflects this in another line where he confesses that the woman in his life brought him closer to God, but he returned the favor by dragging her through heartache. That lyric hurts because it reflects a truth I lived. Rachel’s faith strengthened mine. Her prayers carried me in moments I did not even know I needed them. But my immaturity, selfishness, and inability to see what mattered most caused pain I could never undo.
Hebrews 12:15 offers a timely warning: “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” God’s grace is free and abundant, but it does not exempt us from the consequences of our carelessness, especially when it affects someone else’s heart.
The closing lines of Religiously carry the full weight of regret. The artist sings about realizing too late that he let go of the best thing he ever had. That line haunts me because it echoes a truth many of us have lived. We can lose God’s best, not because God withholds it, but because we fail to act when the opportunity is right in front of us.
But my story does not end there. God, in His mercy, brought healing to my heart and wisdom to my steps. And in time, He brought someone new into my life—my wife, Lisa. Lisa has been more than I ever prayed for. She’s wise, gracious, strong, and deeply faithful. She is my partner, my encourager, and the mother of our beautiful children. What I once missed in Rachel became a powerful lesson that shaped how I saw Lisa when she entered my life. This time, I was ready to recognize God’s blessing. I was no longer praying out of regret. With the advice of a loving mother, I was living in gratitude. Because my family and I grew to love Lisa, I eventually asked her to marry me.
You do not want to live with the kind of sorrow that only hindsight can heal. Look at your life today. Who is there that you might be overlooking? Are you so focused on chasing the wrong things that you are missing the right ones? Learn from my story. Act now, before regret becomes the loudest voice in your prayers.
Prayer of Significance:
Lord, thank You for the people and blessings You have placed in my life, even the ones I failed to recognize in the past. Forgive me for my shortsightedness, for the ways I chased the wrong things and hurt those who truly loved me. Open my eyes today to what You have given me. Help me to cherish it fully and live with gratitude instead of regret. I thank You especially for my wife, Lisa, and the family we now share, which serves as a reminder of Your grace and redemption in my life. Teach me to be faithful to the blessings in front of me and bold enough to hold on before it is too late. Amen.
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