"And He said to all, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"
(Luke 9:23-25 ESV)
Sometime in the course of our lives we are required to make a choice. There are no other options, we must either choose to follow God with all that we are or go our own way. While on the surface the choice to follow God sounds like an easier life, it's not. In fact, when we choose to follow God, He demands that we give our all. This includes our dreams, our desires, our hopes, and our very selves. I made the choice to follow God years ago, and He is still teaching me to let go of my own ideas for my life. I have always wanted to travel to, or maybe even live in, a foreign country. As I have grown in Christ, this desire has included spreading His love to this suffering world. Maybe one day I will travel, however, this dream is in His hands instead of mine. A year or more ago, my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a terrible degenerative disease that will slowly destroy her brain. She cannot be left at home by herself, and this greatly limits my time away from home...sometimes painfully so. How could I leave home at a time like this? If God opens the door, I will go, but for now I have to surrender the plans that I have for myself in exchange for the plans that God has for me. However, God's hand is evident even in this, and I choose to trust Him. Has God been unfair to me? By no means! Though the choice to let God have His way costs you everything that you have and everything that you are, He is worth it. For my savior, Jesus Christ, gave everything so that I might have this choice. When we give up the meager things that we have and the brokeness that we are, God pours out His rich abundance of grace, mercy, and love upon us. What we had to begin with doesn't seem so precious anymore in the light of Christ's perfect love.
His,
Sarah Moore :)
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV)
Sarah, good to see you blogging, I think you have a lot to share.
ReplyDeleteI promise you that the bumps in life are really the times that make you a full, deep person. We don't know what is happening when we look at circumstances, but God tailors for each of us a unique journey that builds us into the best for him. And his promises are true, he will provide abundantly above all you can ask or think.
If you would like another older woman friend to turn to -- we all need to know where we are going, and for a time, you may need some support, I just want you to know I'm here. Come have some coffee, and visit Shenook. We'll keep you in our prayers.