Regret has a way of keeping us up at night—eyes locked on the ceiling, replaying the past like it might finally give us a different ending. But it never does. Instead, the weight just sits there, asking quietly but relentlessly: How did I get here?

In the story of Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends, we see that regret doesn’t have to be the end of the story. There’s a place where the past can remind you, but it doesn’t have to define you—and that place is closer than you think.

In Part 1 of Staring at the Ceiling, Forrest Jenan helps us look at what to do with the kind of regret that lingers. Not by pretending it doesn’t hurt, but by taking it somewhere safe—somewhere it can be met with grace, healing, and even a new assignment for your life.