I hope that I am the kind of person that meets someone where they stand and am able to breathe light into whatever darkness may be bringing them down or holding them back. I want to be that kind of person because I have been so blessed to have just that kind of people in my life since the very beginning--even when I didn't always know it or recognize it for what it was. Sometimes, it was something as simple as a smile, a thank you, an appreciative wave or hand on my shoulder. Other times it was deep love, caring words, and sheer Truth spoken into my heart and embedded in my soul. People invested in me. I hope I pay that forward tenfold.
I have been thinking about my testimony. That is, the story of how I came to believe Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My pastor started the thought--planted the seed so to speak-- several weeks ago. A couple of weeks ago, the night before my accident, I was attending our small group for singles who are 35+ at a member's house. Following our first small group and after our dinner, we had the opportunity to hear the testimony of two people from our church. The first person was a woman who I did not know prior to her testimony. The second was a man I do know, but I had no idea about his story. Each of them became endeared to me in the telling of their stories. That feeling continued throughout the rest of the evening as our two small groups formed a larger group and three women and two men shared their stories.
It's amazing to see the common threads within our stories. It is heart-wrenching to share the emotion of another persons failed dreams, failed marriages, drug and alcohol abuse or addiction, being lost, broken, neglected...I could go on and on, but that is just the beginning of a story. What comes next is restoration. What is in process is redemption and revelation; healing and growing. The story tells of our journey which is varied. Our destination is the same. We desire to spend our forever in our Father's hands. Even as Christians and especially as we grow deeper or mature in our following of Christ and sowing the seeds, we are attacked over and over. The difference is that before our salvation, we were alone in our battle. It helps me to understand what it would mean to truly be separated from God and that is where hell truly lies.
While these last couple of weeks have wreaked havoc on my life, I have also been blessed immensely. The singles group has me so jazzed about my life. It has given me hope for whatever the future will bring. I have friends whose love is spoken into me and who take the time to not only pray for me daily, but to whisper the words I need to hear or to shout them should I need more convincing. There are others who tell me things about myself that I don't pay attention to, but are important to people in my life. They remind me that I am a sower, I am engaged, I am invested, and I am living out loud in my love of God. And still, there are others who don't even know that they were exactly what I needed in a given moment. I hope that I appreciate each of them and thank them for the value they have given to me and brought into my life. I hope, even in the smallest why, I can be a light in the midst of their darkness so they know they are loved. I read a quote be Edith Wharton that said you can be the candle or you can be the mirror that reflects the candles light. I hope that I am a reflection of the light of Christ in all I do.
I have been thinking about my testimony. That is, the story of how I came to believe Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. My pastor started the thought--planted the seed so to speak-- several weeks ago. A couple of weeks ago, the night before my accident, I was attending our small group for singles who are 35+ at a member's house. Following our first small group and after our dinner, we had the opportunity to hear the testimony of two people from our church. The first person was a woman who I did not know prior to her testimony. The second was a man I do know, but I had no idea about his story. Each of them became endeared to me in the telling of their stories. That feeling continued throughout the rest of the evening as our two small groups formed a larger group and three women and two men shared their stories.
It's amazing to see the common threads within our stories. It is heart-wrenching to share the emotion of another persons failed dreams, failed marriages, drug and alcohol abuse or addiction, being lost, broken, neglected...I could go on and on, but that is just the beginning of a story. What comes next is restoration. What is in process is redemption and revelation; healing and growing. The story tells of our journey which is varied. Our destination is the same. We desire to spend our forever in our Father's hands. Even as Christians and especially as we grow deeper or mature in our following of Christ and sowing the seeds, we are attacked over and over. The difference is that before our salvation, we were alone in our battle. It helps me to understand what it would mean to truly be separated from God and that is where hell truly lies.
While these last couple of weeks have wreaked havoc on my life, I have also been blessed immensely. The singles group has me so jazzed about my life. It has given me hope for whatever the future will bring. I have friends whose love is spoken into me and who take the time to not only pray for me daily, but to whisper the words I need to hear or to shout them should I need more convincing. There are others who tell me things about myself that I don't pay attention to, but are important to people in my life. They remind me that I am a sower, I am engaged, I am invested, and I am living out loud in my love of God. And still, there are others who don't even know that they were exactly what I needed in a given moment. I hope that I appreciate each of them and thank them for the value they have given to me and brought into my life. I hope, even in the smallest why, I can be a light in the midst of their darkness so they know they are loved. I read a quote be Edith Wharton that said you can be the candle or you can be the mirror that reflects the candles light. I hope that I am a reflection of the light of Christ in all I do.
Comments
Post a Comment