Another Friday springs upon us from out of nowhere! At least it feels that way! And its not just another week gone, a whole New Year is here! 2015!? where did the rest of the 14 years go? We were just celebrating a New Millennium with fears of computers crashing, hoarding food, money, stockpiling guns and ammunition, preparing for the world to end as we knew it! Funny, but doesnt the world end as we knew it every New Year? And what happened? We welcomed in another New Year probably quite like you did on Wednesday night. 2001 arrived just as 2015 did and were still here ending another week even as we begin another year. Still, it is very strange saying, thinking, seeing 2015! What will 2015 be like, will it be better than 2014? Maybe it will be worse, or the same, or ________? What we do know is it will be an experience! We will experience all life has to offer in all its various dimensions. We know there will be Joy and Sadness, Pain and Pleasure, Good and Bad, Sickness and Health, Positive and Negative, Life and Death, everything we experienced in 2014 with continued opportunities to rely on Gods Grace! Because, if there is one thing that I find repeating itself in my life it is the need for Grace! Whether its needing Grace to pull my feet out of my mouth, keep my feet out of my mouth, or having Gods Grace close my mouth as He closed the mouths of those lions occupying the same space as Daniel! Just in this one arena alone I need an abundance of Gods Grace on a moment by moment process! But its not only in protecting me and the public at large form my verbal gymnastics that Grace is so foundational to my life. Its through Grace God has been reversing the damage a lifetime of lies has caused my inability to receive all God desires me to have in my life. 2014 was a very challenging year in our lives.In it we have continued to adjust to some major life changes. Careers, Spiritual Callings, Health, Self-Identity, Life Purpose, all the Who, What, Where, Why and Hows of that make up life as we think we know it. We have been told all our lives we must know and have all these issues settled, arranged put in some perspective so our lives will have meaning, worth, count for something! We will finally have proven that we do have worth, value, we do count, we do have a purpose, we think, we hope, we desperately long to know in some way we made a difference,our lives really do count for something! I know we are not the only two who struggled with the reality of the above paragraph in this last year. Ill bet its been a struggle lasting much longer than just this last year, thats true for us also. Its often here where the question arises, So, what does being a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, one who claims to be in a personal relationship with God really do for you? If all this negative stuff is happening why be a believer at all? My first response is, Good question! My second response is, We arent going through all this stuff alone! My third response is, We dont have it nearly as challenging as do so many others. I know whatever we are experiencing when life becomes extremely difficult it isnt as difficult as someone else is experiencing at this very moment and maybe even by themselves. No matter what is thrown at us, at me God and His Grace are always here with me, in me whether Im aware of it or not! And my final response sit is given by the Holy Spirit is, Our lives are of the utmost value, worth, they are priceless according to the One who Created them, then Died for them! We have a purpose as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus through us in ways we will never know. We make a difference every day because we are and because we are in Christ! My life, Jonis life, all your lives count for something because God made us to fulfill His purpose at this time, in this place, in His way! My circumstances, how I respond to my circumstances, whether Im naughty,nice, polite, rude, correct, wrong, arrogant, humble, wise, foolish, and so on and so on, God is always with me, in me, for me because of Himself, because thats who He is, its what He does! Gods Grace isnt dependent on how I do or dont perform, its dependent on Gods Love and His Love alone. Thats a Truth to carry anyone through whatever will be the reality of 2015! And it this reality that is recreating us into all God has for us! When God moved us into Pastoral ministry I had been seeking to be transparent, vulnerable, authentic, real, as honest as it was possible or me to be or become. Now as God has moved us out of that particular ministry (still waiting to discover exactly what the next ministry opportunity will be) the desire to remain in pursuit of those characteristics is as strong as ever! As is the desire to be available to God and His Grace wherever,whenever that may lead! Everyone who has signed on in liking the Grace in Process blog thanks very much for the support! To everyone who felt blessed enough to share the posts, thank you very much also! Each and everyone who has received something from reading this blog has been a Blessing to us! Gods Grace has made sure that as each of you experiences Grace in Process, we receive you as a Blessing! Thanks for all the support, encouragement, willingness to read, share, comment and remind us how much God loves us because He gives you to us! Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,nor height nor depth,nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us form the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 NKJV
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 23:42:21 +0000
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