Mary Southerland shares with us, "I have personally discovered that
it is downright frustrating and completely impossible to live the Christian
life when you are not a Christian. I tried.
For years, I desperately struggled to trust God with only head knowledge of who He is and wants to be in my life. When that trust settled into my heart and life – well, life became a different journey altogether.
For years, I desperately struggled to trust God with only head knowledge of who He is and wants to be in my life. When that trust settled into my heart and life – well, life became a different journey altogether.
I grew up in a Christian home,
attending church every time the doors were open. I sang all the right songs,
spoke all the right words and did all the right things in front of all the
right people.
I fervently prayed that my works would validate my faith and desperately hoped that by following the rules, I would please the Ruler.
It was not until middle school that the spiritual integrity of a dynamic youth pastor made me hunger and thirst for something more. I wanted to know God and experience His unconditional love.
I fervently prayed that my works would validate my faith and desperately hoped that by following the rules, I would please the Ruler.
It was not until middle school that the spiritual integrity of a dynamic youth pastor made me hunger and thirst for something more. I wanted to know God and experience His unconditional love.
One Sunday, I sat in my usual
spot, clutching the back of the pew in front of me while wrestling with God
over the condition of my soul and my eternal security.
After all, I was a very active church member, a soloist and pianist for our worship services, and even directed a children’s choir.
How embarrassing to walk down that aisle, admitting to everyone that I’d been living a lie.
After all, I was a very active church member, a soloist and pianist for our worship services, and even directed a children’s choir.
How embarrassing to walk down that aisle, admitting to everyone that I’d been living a lie.
My mind argued that I knew all
about God – and then the deeper truth of that argument hit me. Yes, I knew
about Him but I didn’t know Him.
That night, I met Jesus. My problems did not disappear but much of my stress did as I began to trust God, I mean really trust Him.
Over the years, I have been taught by some incredible men and women of faith, but none more precious or more powerful than our grandchildren.
That night, I met Jesus. My problems did not disappear but much of my stress did as I began to trust God, I mean really trust Him.
Over the years, I have been taught by some incredible men and women of faith, but none more precious or more powerful than our grandchildren.
My grandchildren call me Mimi …
and words are pitifully inadequate when trying to express just how much I love
being a grandmother.
I have experienced a new and deeper level of love with the birth of each grandchild. Watching one of my grandchildren is kind of like watching my heart walk around on the outside of my body.
I have experienced a new and deeper level of love with the birth of each grandchild. Watching one of my grandchildren is kind of like watching my heart walk around on the outside of my body.
I have a good friend, Lisa, who is
a teacher at the school where my four-year-old grandson, Jaydan, attends
pre-school classes three mornings each week.
One day, Lisa happened to be on the playground when Jaydan’s class came out to play. She teasingly asked, ‘Jaydan, I don’t have a Mimi. Can I have yours?’
Jaydan immediately whirled around, placed his hands on his hips and firmly responded, ‘No way!’ Lisa smiled and said, ‘But Jaydan, don’t you want to share your Mimi with me?’ Jaydan adamantly replied, ‘I can’t! She’s mine … all mine!’
One day, Lisa happened to be on the playground when Jaydan’s class came out to play. She teasingly asked, ‘Jaydan, I don’t have a Mimi. Can I have yours?’
Jaydan immediately whirled around, placed his hands on his hips and firmly responded, ‘No way!’ Lisa smiled and said, ‘But Jaydan, don’t you want to share your Mimi with me?’ Jaydan adamantly replied, ‘I can’t! She’s mine … all mine!’
Wow! As I listened to Lisa tell me
this story, I have to admit my heart doubled in size. And then I immediately
thought about the way God loves me … and the way He loves you. God’s love for
us is unconditional, boundless and fierce.
"Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love. This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and
only Son into the world so that we could have life through him. This is what
real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us in sending
his Son to be the way to take away our sins." 1 John 4: 8-10 (The Message)
Trusting God begins and ends with
the fierce love of God. Trusting God really
is all about wrapping our hearts and
minds and lives around the reality
of God’s love. He loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for our sins so
we can have an abundant life – now and eternally.
You may find yourself in a
frightening place filled with darkness and doubt. Your fragile heart may be
wondering if God knows where you are of if He even cares. He does.
You think that because you cannot
see the hand of God or sense His presence it means He is not working. Nothing
could be further from the truth, girlfriend. We may not understand or even like
His process but let me assure you that God is always at work in our lives.
He will always love you. He will
come through for you and you really can trust Him.
Let’s
Pray
Father, I want to know You and
trust You with my whole heart and life. Thank You for loving me even when I
doubt Your love. I praise You for being faithful even when my faith is small.
Teach me how to walk by faith and not by sight.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.”
Mary Southerland (11/ 30/11) on crosswalk.com
“Friend to Friend"
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demon, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV).
“Therefore I say to you,
whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you
will have them.” Mark 11:24 NKJV
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