God blessed the broken road

I used to really dislike the song, “God Blessed the Broken Road.” I just thought it was stupid and corny…but NOW I love it. Well, its starting to grow on me. I listened to a bible teacher talking about that song and relating it to their walk with Jesus and something just hit me! In my head usually things make sense but it takes a while longer for my heart to catch up. While listening to the teacher talk about the song in that way, my heart suddenly caught up.

Suddenly, things that seemed to be so important before, didn’t even matter anymore. God frequently completely flip flops my perspective on things and it rocks my world. It takes me days to comprehend what He is showing me, and to try to wrap my mind around how awesome He is.

Before I had always thought of the song lyrics as a boyfriend/girlfriend thing, but thinking about Jesus instead really opened my eyes to things I had never seen before.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are, others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars, pointing me on my way into your loving arms

Everything seems different when you stop saying to the people who have hurt you in the past, “That was a horrible thing to do, I expect an apology,” and say instead, “It doesn’t matter anymore, thanks for pointing me to Jesus.”

That person I thought was such a problem, well maybe they were just a part of the process. Things from your past sure look different when you stop feeling forever regretful about them and start looking at them instead as a gift.

 

                                                    

I think about the years I've spent, just passing through, I'd like to have the time I lost, and give it back to you. But you just smile and take my hand, You've been there, you understand, it's all part of a grander plan that is coming true.

Sometimes I think about the time before I accepted Jesus and I regret that I wasted so much time trying to find happiness and love and purpose when He was right there waiting for me the whole time. But I’m realizing that thinking about the past takes all the joy out of the present.

Life really is just a journey, with bumps and curves and turns and even some potholes. Imagine taking a really long journey and along the way you get a flat tire. And after a while you get if fixed and continue on the road. But all along the road you are still upset thinking about the flat tire and complaining that the whole trip was ruined.

That’s ridiculous right? But I think that’s what we do in life sometimes, at least I do. I keep holding onto things that happened and are over. Things that shouldn’t matter anymore because they’re over. So that’s what Jesus really said to me through that song. He said, ’Katie life is a journey! There aren’t certain moments that define the whole trip! Its all just a long road leading you to your savior.”

EVERY experience in my life LED me to Jesus, led me to my savior. If I hadn’t had the life that I did I don’t know if I would be with Jesus right now. And if I did accept Jesus, I don’t know if I would be as close to Him.

This much I know is true, that god blessed the broken road that led me straight to you

I know its true that God has blessed my life, all the good and all the bad. He has blessed my journey and He is using everything and turning it into good.

I have also found that when you stop holding onto things that don’t matter, you have a lot more time for things that actually do matter. It is the most freeing feeling.

Its one thing to acknowledge with your head that things happen and are over and need to be let go of. Its another thing entirely to have that sink into your heart and really get it. I thank God every day that I finally get it. That I have been set free and have been given from God a peace that literally passes ALL understanding.

One night I sat in my car thinking about my life before Christ and my life now and I was grasping for understanding. My life has done a one hundred percent turn in the opposite direction. And sitting in my car I couldn’t wrap my mind around the miracle that God had performed. I was as shocked as if I had seen a lame man walk or a blind man see for the first time. I just over and over again, “God how did you do that? Thank you so much.”

Three and a half years ago I came to Jesus with empty hands. I came absolutely broken. I came to Jesus with absolutely nothing. I was so empty. Now I look in the past and I see a broken road leading me straight to Jesus. I look in the future and I see endless hope and I look around me and I look within me and I am anything but empty. I am full in joy, peace, and love. I have been blessed in so many ways I cant count them all. Jesus has filled me overflowing

Listen to this song and if, like me, you don’t really like it, throw those negative thoughts about it out for the window for a couple of minutes. Think of every lyric of this song in context to Jesus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ai8904MzY9o

A brand new life is calling and I owe it all to grace

I just finished a book where the author was telling a story about a hike she went on. She said the trail through thorn bushes, swamps, and mud was a difficult one, but it was all worth it when she reached the her destination. She ended up on a cliff overlooking her whole journey, and the view from the top was incredible.

That story hit me like a ton of bricks. Because that’s my life. My life before Christ was a journey through mud and thorns and swamps. But finally accepting Jesus as my savior, looking back over the long hike, it was all worth it.

At the time, those difficult situations seemed like swamps, looking back, they were stepping stones. Its funny how time can really change your perspective. Years back, in the midst of hardship I only felt despair, from where I am now I no longer feel shame or guilt.

Because I’m on the other side, I see how God has beautifully worked everything together and I feel hopeful.
 Hosea 6:1

“Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.

Because I know the ending point is beautiful, I can look back on the journey with peace. Now that I see Gods redemptive power in my life, the past no longer seems so daunting.

The darkness of the past no longer matters because the future is so much brighter than I ever could have imagined. Because of the brightness that surrounds me I can look back and laugh where I used to cringe.

Jeremiah 30:17

For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

God is full of promises and He will never ever ever break a promise. My God is a God of restoration. What a beautiful promise.

Looking back is reassuring. You can say to yourself, “Look how faithful God has been to bring me this far. How could I doubt that He will carry me the rest of the way through?” He has been faithful before, He will be faithful again.

God has brought me so far, but there is still so much further for me to go! Sometimes its hard to see that I’m standing in victory, sometimes all I see is defeat. But I know that God wont leave me here.

Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

I no longer look back and see regret

Now I look back and see God creating beauty out of chaos.

I see God supplying love where there was none
I see God softening the hardest of hearts
I see God bringing strength where there used to only be fear
I see God bringing peace and driving out worry and anxiety.

But most of all…

I see God bringing healing where gaping wounds lie
I see God making whole what was shattered
And I see God restoring and redeeming all that had been lost

Out of the ashes we rise.

Song Recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd9VEgsM2G4

God Wont Use Gifts To Bribe Us

I heard a preacher one time telling his congregation that as long as they pray every day and live their lives for God, they will have cars, money, houses, everything they ever wanted. And he said that if they do not get the things that they want, this must mean that they are doing something wrong and God is not pleased with them.

And hearing that preacher mislead a huge group of people made me so mad. Because I don’t believe that if you live a Godly life that God will give you everything you ever wanted. Because then what happens when you don’t get everything you want but you are living a blameless life?

Wealth and success are not the results of a Godly life. Look at the life of Jesus, He was perfect and His life was filled with persecution, mockery, and toil.

If we do right God will bless us. But what if the blessing is simply being able to wake up in the morning and live our lives?

But I have found myself caring more about what God can and has done for me than who He actually is. I have always measured how much God loves me by the things and people and experiences that He has blessed me with. But even if God never did another single good thing for me for the rest of my life, that wouldn’t change who He is. He is still God, and deserves all the honor and glory and praise. Doing nothing, God is still awe inspiring. I figured because God gives me good things He must love me. But even when I feel like He has drawn back His hand, He still loves me.

God gives us good things according to His perfect timing and planning.

Matthew 7:11

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him

God gives us gifts because He loves us, He doesn’t hand out bribes.

Matthew 10:29

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows

We should not be concerned about whether or not God gives us gifts, because He has our every need taken care of .

God does, and will give us good things, but not to win our love. He already won our love, on the cross of Jesus Christ. God gives us good things because He loves us.

What we need is a change of perspective.

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance

PURE JOY. Not just, ‘try to get through,’ or, ‘hang in there,’ but, consider it PURE JOY.

Instead of thinking, ‘how is God going to bless me today?,’ we should be asking, ‘how can I be a blessing to others today?’

We need to realize that God has already given us the priceless gift of eternal life, everything else is just a completely undeserved bonus.

There are times when I feel empty and dry and I cry out to God, “God, I cant hear you, I cant feel you, I cant see you. God don’t you love me?”

And even when I cant hear his answer, I know He does. Because the same God who made the universe and knows every star by name, knows the exact number of hairs on my head.

My name is written on the palm of his nail scarred hand. He rejoices over me with singing and will never stop doing good to me. He gave me His holy word so whenever I’m feeling lonely, whenever I’m feeling lost, I can read His words and be reassured of His love. What a love I have in Jesus.

Song recommendation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MecgrJvbk24