Forward

One of the reasons I write is to tell my story. I don't write because my thoughts are more profound than others. In fact I am quite sure that there are innumerable multitudes that write the same types of things that I do much much better. But there is something in the telling of my story that wants me to have a better story. It pushes me forward. One of the guys in our church preached His first sermon today. He did an amazing job and while I listened I thought about how that act will push Him to live a better story. When I was in my middle 30's I was asked to lead a Ladies Bible Study. I was quick to say I was too young, that the older women are to teach the younger women and promptly was told that I had crossed that bridge. Not fun. But the act of teaching that Bible Study did more to push me forward than anyting I had done for God before. There is something about both leadership and writing that make us want to be better,  to be used of God to make a difference. When I write it helps me make sense of the place I am at and what I am going through. When I teach I want to be sure I know what I am teaching, that I am ready to be taught, and that I am in a place where I can follow up with those I teach. For me it is all about serving God. But when I first started out it wasn't necessarily about that. It was about finally having friends, it was about being set free from sin, it was about not feeling alone. God was a part of that but I was just learning. While I was "all in" from the beginning I still did not get what that meant and had a long way to go and of course I still do. But God led me, patiently; He taught me, willingly; He loved me when I fumbled my way around. The one thing that was true at the beginning that is still true now is that my God holds the central place of my life and I have willingly exchanged my previous crummy life for the adventure of walking with Him. Some of you have not exchanged your life for His. Some of you are not pressing forward with your story. I urge you to take some time as you read this and go to God and give your all to Him. In every story of every person in the Bible who walked with God one thing is evident. Their lives forever changed when they met Him. And another thing, they pushed forward and had no regrets. I would not trade one day of my life since I met Christ for one of the days before and I have had some bad ones. There is nothing worse than being alone and lost. Now I have family and am set free.