Telling my story

In response to a request for a little sharing of "my" story, I'll share some things. Be warned, if you think "Gone with the Wind" is a long movie, I'm not sure you want to hear my story. However, just like a good book is divided into many chapters, I can divide my story into a some of my more memorable chapters. In my own mind, I tend to focus on the lessons about God that I have gleaned through the experiences He has brought me through. Also, I tend to move from the general lessons to the more specific. I think of the big lessons because God has reinforced those lessons over and over and over again. They are the lessons that I have struggled to learn. At the very top of my list is my understanding of grace. My story is a story of the relentless love of God. He refused to love me less no matter what. Early in my journey I understood God's grace in terms of a one-time salvation event. At the age of 8 I confessed my need for salvation and put my faith in Jesus as my Savior. Yet, I did not begin to understand the richness and value of God's grace in daily life until much later. Grace is not merely an escape from God's judgment, it has become the "air I breathe" on a daily basis. The apprenticeship that we call "discipleship" is a two-edged sword. As we know Jesus better and are transformed by His power, we become more like Him and we realize how much more we need to change. That sounds like a recipe for a miserable life, and it would be, if it weren't for God's grace. His grace transforms what would be misery into to joy. It's like the joy an artist takes in perfecting a masterpiece. After all, we are the workmanship of God. He takes joy in changing us. I have learned to take joy in the changes He makes in me. OK, it's time for the first commercial in the movie now.