Life is a journey and none of us can predict where our roads will take us or what experiences our chapters will be made of.
Hi friend, welcome back to the blog.
While I'd like to apologize for my long absence from the blog; I also feel compelled to say thank you to some of you for reaching out personally with words encouragement to continue with the blog posts.
Todays post is titled 'My First Chapter' and I chose this title because the Lord has done so many new things in my life, but I wanted to take you back to where the work began. And I hope and pray that you'll return in the coming weeks to hear more about the different chapters of my life thus far.
For those of you who know me personally, you know my twin and I recently completed another trip around the sun. And while it's always interesting to me to look back and see how much we've changed/grown each year; I'm also always excited to witness and become a part of the things that God will do during the year.
My first chapter didn't start on my Birthday this year or even at the beginning of the year. It actually started a few years ago when I decided to re-give my life to Christ. You see, prior to that, I was going through a lot of difficulties including physical, mental and emotional health issues. To the point where one day I felt myself telling God I didn't want to be here anymore.
Looking back it's difficult to admit that I had hit rock bottom even though I was a professing Christian. I hadn't necessarily backslid (a term Christians use when a person of faith walks away from God completely); but to be honest, my faith wasn't where it was supposed to be. I had more questions than answers about my faith and I was just going through the motions of Christianity to appease my family and friends. I had harbored so many wounds from so-called friends who were in fact toxic people and was starting to lose hope in faith altogether.
However, as only God can do, He used that time in my life to draw my attention back to Him. I began to seek Him earnestly and deeply and that's when I truly found Him.
Jeremiah 29:13 [ESV] states: ”You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.“
My first chapter began when I re-dedicated my life back to God. This time, deciding to pursue Him with all my heart and trust him with all my pain and endless pursuit of happiness. I gave Him my questions and hurts in turn for a slow and deeper healing.
Today, I don't claim to have found all the answers or that my life is without hardships or hurt. In fact that couldn't be any farther from the truth; but I'll admit God is working and I'm at peace with it.
2 Corinthians 5:17 [ESV] states: ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.“
When we give our lives to Christ, there's a transformation that begins to happen. And this transformation brings changes that should be evident in the Christian's life.
While some people might think this is a 'one-time drastic change;' I've often found that the most lasting change is often one that is slow but compounds to a big change over time.
Life is a journey and none of us can predict where our roads will take us or what experiences our chapters will be made of. The only assurance we have as Christians is that heaven will be worth it if we stay the course and continue to persevere in Christ. It's been four years since my first chapter began, but the healing journey continues.
Next week, I hope to share with you the next chapter
Let's pray...
Dear God, thank you for your mercies which are new every morning. May you bless each and everyone that has read this post with salvation if they don't know you; re-dedication if they need to come back to you; or simply strength to continue in you if they know you. Help us all to live lives that will glorify you in each chapter of our life here on earth. May we all be testimonies of your grace and light. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Image credit:
Wix
コメント