Embracing our stories

It’s amazing how I have such peace with my life. It’s kind of a miracle actually.

I have so much peace with every single step I have walked along this journey. I have peace because I know that my life is safe in God’s hands.

My view of my life is so incredibly limited. I can’t see the whole picture; all I can see is my tiny worldview. So I must trust in the one who CAN see the whole picture. I must trust in the one’s who’s definition of the word, ‘safe,’ is SO much better than mine.

I recently heard people talking about what they would change about their lives if they could go back and do it all over again. And when I first thought about it, there came to mind some obvious things that I would rather smudge out of my personal history.

But when you start erasing things, everything else is affected. If anything were changed or removed, I’m not sure who or where I would be right now. Would I still feel such a desperate need for Jesus coursing through my veins or would my life be defined by complacency?

In my life I have made a lot of mistakes and have gone through things that were painful that I wish hadn’t happened.  But God, in His perfect wisdom, allowed those things to happen so I know that there must be a reason for them. God wont allow us to go through painful things without having a plan or purpose for them.

Whatever He allows, I’m okay with because I am completely assured of His goodness. I am completely satisfied in the sweetness of intimacy with Him I have right now that I wouldn’t dare change a thing. 

So I will trust Him. I am confident that He doesn’t let anything go to waste. I trust Him with my life, even the hard parts, even the messy, uncomfortable, painful parts. Because He is good and loves me and this is the life He gave me.

I find peace knowing that this hasn’t just been MY journey, its been OUR journey. Me and God. He has walked every single step of this journey with me and has never for a second let go of my hand.

My God is weaving a beautiful story with my broken pieces. I wouldn’t change anything because I know my God is using everything. Our God is a powerful redeemer.

 My story is beautiful because it is not really about me at all.

My story is about a God who relentlessly pursues.

My story is about a God who heals hurting hearts with the strength of His love.

My story is about a God who takes what was meant for evil and instead brings good.
My story is about a God who creates beautiful redemption out of ashes.

My story is about a God who can bring hope to the most hopeless situations.

My story is about a God who can soften the hardest, most bitter, and well-guarded heart.

If my life, with all the parts I’m tempted to change, brings God the most glory, then that’s the life that I’m content to stick with.

I’m learning to embrace the joy that God has given me in the life that He has given me. Every difficult situation is another opportunity to see God’s power displayed.

I feel like its human nature to want to smooth out the bumpy areas of our lives and to want to smudge out the ugly, broken parts. But God works best in the bumpy, broken parts.

Instead of pretending that we have lived perfect, lovely lives, why don’t we instead be honest about how God has transformed our messes into something that will bring glory to His name?

Why don’t we be honest about our lives and invite others to do the same? Instead of hiding our brokenness, why don’t we invite others into the journey with us? Why don’t we live this life together, embracing our stories and rejoicing at how God takes broken things and makes them beautiful?

He has been abundantly faithful, I have been abundantly blessed. I wouldn’t change a thing.

I was blind, but NOW I SEE

I went to the boardwalk about a week ago with some friends to evangelize and just have conversations with people about Jesus. This was the first time I had ever done something like that and I was so nervous!

I thought, ‘I don’t have all the answers! I’m not smart enough to get the message across.’

I thought, ‘I’m not a good speaker! When I get nervous I stumble and fumble and look foolish.’

But out of obedience to God, I went to the boardwalk anyway.

And I’m glad I did.

When I started talking to people and they started asking hard questions, its true, I didn’t have all the answers. And I got a bit frustrated with the hypothetical scenarios thrown at me. I just wanted to make them see, but its hard to put into words something that you have experienced.

I just needed to share my story. To say, this is who I was, and this is how Jesus saved me.

I could sit and talk theology with you and dissect every line of the Bible but then we would be missing the point! The real living, breathing proof right in front of our eyes!

In John chapter 9 Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth and he is taken to the Pharisees. The man tells him that Jesus performed a miracle! The man tells them, he washed my eyes with mud and now I see.

Instead of rejoicing and giving thanks to God, these men debate and question the man about rules and regulations. They were missing the point!

Finally after continuing to be questioned, the man says, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

It doesn’t matter to the man what day it was that brought him healing, all he knows it that his eyesight has been restored!

Instead of trying to answer every hypothetical situation and loaded question, I just wanted to say,

“Don’t you get it? Don’t you see how wonderful Jesus is?

I was blind but now I see!

I was a prisoner but now I’m free!

I was broken but now I’m healed!

I was lost but now I’m found!

I was dead but now I’m alive!

I was hopeless but now I have found hope!”

Some people aren’t going to be satisfied unless you can answer every single question and reassure them on every single issue about God.

But I cant do that. I cant answer enough questions to get someone to put their trust in God.

All I can say is that I’m not who I once was, and because of Jesus Christ I have joy and hope and love and freedom and salvation.
Song recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ4yNYY1hHM