My Savior

I keep forgetting to write about the things I am thankful for.  So this morning I thought I would start at the top.  I am thankful for my savior Jesus Christ, who gave me new life.  I thought my old life was pretty good.  I had everything I needed and most of the things I wanted.  I had many good times.  But truly I was dead.  I remember that dead life.  I remember trying to find happiness in all the wrong places.

But God chose me, and gave me eyes to see what I had been missing.  I am so thankful that He gave me this crazy full life.  I am thankful that He was willing to obey God to the point of dieing on a cross for my sins, and the sins of all who would believe that He is the Christ.  In His death, He took away all my vanity and dead living.  God raised Him from that death, and in His life I also was given new life.

My life could have looked very different.  I could have remained in my deadness.  It might have looked like life to many people, but it would have paled in comparison to what I have now.  What looks very foolish to many people, is fruitful to God.  My dear husband and I are aging together.  We don't get to go on fancy dates, and exotic vacations.  Our budget would make Dave Ramsey cringe.  We shuffle along trying to make our resources cover all the fullness God has put into our lives.  I know we could do a better job of it, but by God's grace we get by.  Our investment in the future, happens on Sunday morning, and then every morning in between Sundays.  We are trying to lead our children to love the Lord their God with all their soul, strength and mind.  It is hard work, but life is work.

Many will scoff and call me a fool.  They will think that I submitting myself to some kind of harsh master.  Many think that master doesn't even exist, and I am therefore delusional.  They called Jesus a fool first, and I will follow Him.  All of their scoffing will not kill my joy.  It killed it two thousand years ago, and it rose to greater joy.  My life is full of joy.  Sometimes the joy is in foolish things.  Sometimes the joy brings sorrow, love is like that.  But for all of it I am very thankful.  I may be busy.  I may wish that I could do more.  I may fall short in many areas.  The one thing that I have now, that I did not have before is real love.  I have a deep, unshakable love in me, and flowing out of me, and nothing can remove that.  All of my thankfulness starts and ends right here in Christ.