In
the place of quiet introspection, I found myself thinking about a question I had
heard Mike Murdoch ask on his telecast a little earlier in the day. Don’t ask
me what he was speaking about. I really wasn’t paying attention, but somehow I caught
the question ‘What would you do, if you could start your life all over again?’ and it stuck in my subconscious.
the place of quiet introspection, I found myself thinking about a question I had
heard Mike Murdoch ask on his telecast a little earlier in the day. Don’t ask
me what he was speaking about. I really wasn’t paying attention, but somehow I caught
the question ‘What would you do, if you could start your life all over again?’ and it stuck in my subconscious.
Isat back and thought my life over in perhaps what was the most detailed review I
had ever allowed myself in years. As you would imagine, my mind went first to
all my many failings over the course of my life. Remarkable really, how readily
the mind recalls our shortcomings and mistakes from forever ago. If I had a hundred
bucks for every negative my mind played out in that short place of time, I could
probably have bought myself a Ferrari the next day. Yep! If any of us could
package our sins of the past – small, medium, large and humongous, into boxes
for which we would be paid a hundred dollars per kg, the world would be filled only
with multi-millionaires, nest pas? I make this clarification in the hope that
no one reading this will be sitting back now and trying to figure out just how
bad I had been if I could afford a Ferrari for my past failings, lol.
Seriously
though, my introspection was not just about sin. It was also about the many “coulda-shoulda-woulda”
issues in my life. It was about those things I did or didn’t do because I thought
I knew better, and which time, experience and maturity have shown me I was
wrong about. My introspection was about the things I allowed myself to do or
not do because quite simply, I was afraid; or in some other cases, too
concerned about the opinions of others. I found myself thinking about
opportunities I had procrastinated away, areas where I simply allowed laziness
to collaborate with the passage of time and prevent me from something I still
find myself wishing I had done.
though, my introspection was not just about sin. It was also about the many “coulda-shoulda-woulda”
issues in my life. It was about those things I did or didn’t do because I thought
I knew better, and which time, experience and maturity have shown me I was
wrong about. My introspection was about the things I allowed myself to do or
not do because quite simply, I was afraid; or in some other cases, too
concerned about the opinions of others. I found myself thinking about
opportunities I had procrastinated away, areas where I simply allowed laziness
to collaborate with the passage of time and prevent me from something I still
find myself wishing I had done.
Then
of course, there was the sin part. Oh boy! But I wish I could do away with the
sin part. And I so wish I could will myself to finish this post without
dwelling on the sin part. But truth again, is that the recollection of past
sins was a big part of my thoughts surrounding the question of what I would do
if I could start my life all over again. It surely was! Quite simply sis,
because my commitment to you is to be authentically and uniquely me, I can’t
find it in my heart to be cute about the weight of my past sins – small,
medium, large and humongous, of which I have a history of my fair share of each.
And you know what happens when we begin to mentally revisit our past sins don’t
you sis? Yup! The spirit of condemnation begins to wrap his slithery self all
around our hearts and minds, with that leering, jeering grin on his face. He is
almost vibrating in the intensity of his joy as he thinks to himself ‘gatcha’. What
a loser!
of course, there was the sin part. Oh boy! But I wish I could do away with the
sin part. And I so wish I could will myself to finish this post without
dwelling on the sin part. But truth again, is that the recollection of past
sins was a big part of my thoughts surrounding the question of what I would do
if I could start my life all over again. It surely was! Quite simply sis,
because my commitment to you is to be authentically and uniquely me, I can’t
find it in my heart to be cute about the weight of my past sins – small,
medium, large and humongous, of which I have a history of my fair share of each.
And you know what happens when we begin to mentally revisit our past sins don’t
you sis? Yup! The spirit of condemnation begins to wrap his slithery self all
around our hearts and minds, with that leering, jeering grin on his face. He is
almost vibrating in the intensity of his joy as he thinks to himself ‘gatcha’. What
a loser!
I
will admit that when that spirit begins to come upon us, many of us – myself
included, inadvertently begin to cooperate with him – almost mentally directing
him to the corners of or hearts where he can sink his longest talons. From that
simple question Mike Murdoch posed, I found myself in my little corner in the
space of minutes, struggling with a sense of sadness regarding how much more
different my life would have been if I had done this, or hadn’t done that; said
this or not said that; said no here, or yes there; refused to compromise here,
or been a bit more flexible there; yada yada yada.
will admit that when that spirit begins to come upon us, many of us – myself
included, inadvertently begin to cooperate with him – almost mentally directing
him to the corners of or hearts where he can sink his longest talons. From that
simple question Mike Murdoch posed, I found myself in my little corner in the
space of minutes, struggling with a sense of sadness regarding how much more
different my life would have been if I had done this, or hadn’t done that; said
this or not said that; said no here, or yes there; refused to compromise here,
or been a bit more flexible there; yada yada yada.
Thankfully,
the Word we have hidden in our hearts pushes right back, refusing to let the enemy
take hold. God, in His infinite mercies, always brings us back to the place of
remembrance of the abiding truth of His incredible indescribable abounding love
for us. And He brought me back with a clarity that I want to share with you
today sis. God reminded me, as He does you, that His love and His grace have
covered and washed away our every sin, every mistake and every failing of the
past, of the present and of the future. Halleluyah! This is a simple truth
which those of us who have been saved by grace, and who stand boldly under the
cover of God’s righteousness, fully trusting in the redemptive work of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary, know that we know that we know. The beauty of
this knowing, is that no matter how hard pressed we are, we do not stay down,
because the Word illuminates our spirits, washes us afresh and causes us to
rise up again. Don’t know about you sis, but I’m so glad for the measure of
faith that has been imparted to me which is more than able to see me through my
darkest of times. I’m so grateful to God because He is my forever and again
Helper!
the Word we have hidden in our hearts pushes right back, refusing to let the enemy
take hold. God, in His infinite mercies, always brings us back to the place of
remembrance of the abiding truth of His incredible indescribable abounding love
for us. And He brought me back with a clarity that I want to share with you
today sis. God reminded me, as He does you, that His love and His grace have
covered and washed away our every sin, every mistake and every failing of the
past, of the present and of the future. Halleluyah! This is a simple truth
which those of us who have been saved by grace, and who stand boldly under the
cover of God’s righteousness, fully trusting in the redemptive work of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary, know that we know that we know. The beauty of
this knowing, is that no matter how hard pressed we are, we do not stay down,
because the Word illuminates our spirits, washes us afresh and causes us to
rise up again. Don’t know about you sis, but I’m so glad for the measure of
faith that has been imparted to me which is more than able to see me through my
darkest of times. I’m so grateful to God because He is my forever and again
Helper!
I
laughed out loud as the Lord reminded me that grace has done a finished work in
me, and that who I am now is no relation of who I used to be. I may still struggle
in the flesh as we all do, but my spirit is on a very different track, in
tandem with my Maker – daily being conformed to His image and glory. Then the
Lord said something to me, which though you and I already know, just happened to
hit me in a really much more profound way that day. Yes sis, He gave me a
response to the question, ‘What would you do, if you could start your life all
over again?‘
laughed out loud as the Lord reminded me that grace has done a finished work in
me, and that who I am now is no relation of who I used to be. I may still struggle
in the flesh as we all do, but my spirit is on a very different track, in
tandem with my Maker – daily being conformed to His image and glory. Then the
Lord said something to me, which though you and I already know, just happened to
hit me in a really much more profound way that day. Yes sis, He gave me a
response to the question, ‘What would you do, if you could start your life all
over again?‘
Very
simply, the Lord said to me, ‘It’s irrelevant!’
simply, the Lord said to me, ‘It’s irrelevant!’
‘It’s
irrelevant?’ I asked? ‘Yes’, He said, ‘It is!’. It’s irrelevant because if you
could start your life all over again, even if you knew the outcomes of the
things that in your view you got wrong the first time, you would still then go
ahead to make new sets of mistakes, sin new sets of sins, etc. …….Bottom-line, even
if you could start your life all over again, you would still be the You that you
are, because you wouldn’t know to be any other you than the you that you would
be!
irrelevant?’ I asked? ‘Yes’, He said, ‘It is!’. It’s irrelevant because if you
could start your life all over again, even if you knew the outcomes of the
things that in your view you got wrong the first time, you would still then go
ahead to make new sets of mistakes, sin new sets of sins, etc. …….Bottom-line, even
if you could start your life all over again, you would still be the You that you
are, because you wouldn’t know to be any other you than the you that you would
be!
Myfirst reaction was huh? And the second was ‘Deep!’ Absolutely fantastic
response! I mean think about it sis. So many of us go about wishing our lives
were so different, so much more like the lives of someone or the other that we
know or think we know. We are sometimes so bogged down by what we perceive to
be imperfections in or own lives, so fascinated by the apparent ‘perfections’ in
the life of another, that we forget that everyone has one thing or the other
they are dealing with. Besides, if we were the other person, we wouldn’t know
any better anyway. What we would know would be the sets of issues and realities
that person (in that case, ourselves) have to struggle with daily…. And guess
what? Unless we have that inner peace which God alone can give about who we
truly are; unless we learn to take our true identities in Him; we would then
still be the ‘we’ that we are, struggling and wishing we were someone else, or
had someone else’s life… or could start our own lives over again. How incredibly pointless if that?
So
here’s what I leave you with today sis – you are created uniquely YOU! Walk in
it! Every ‘issue’ in your life has been and is for a purpose… for you to mature into
the fullness of who God has designed you to be. It might not always feel like
there is purpose in your messes, it may not always make sense, it may hurt…but if you trust
in the One Who knows the end from the beginning and Who called you for His
glorious purpose; then find that place of full acceptance of every area of your
life. Let go of any regrets and embrace all you have ever been and who you are
today. Enjoy you sis! Enjoying you brings all glory to God and gives you that
inner peace that allows you open your spirit more easily to hear and know His
express will and plans for your life. Everything else is simply irrelevant sis.
It simply is!
here’s what I leave you with today sis – you are created uniquely YOU! Walk in
it! Every ‘issue’ in your life has been and is for a purpose… for you to mature into
the fullness of who God has designed you to be. It might not always feel like
there is purpose in your messes, it may not always make sense, it may hurt…but if you trust
in the One Who knows the end from the beginning and Who called you for His
glorious purpose; then find that place of full acceptance of every area of your
life. Let go of any regrets and embrace all you have ever been and who you are
today. Enjoy you sis! Enjoying you brings all glory to God and gives you that
inner peace that allows you open your spirit more easily to hear and know His
express will and plans for your life. Everything else is simply irrelevant sis.
It simply is!
Love
YOU, sis! For you really can’t love the God you don’t see, if you can’t fully
love the ‘You’ that you do see daily. You are His express manifestation of
glory sis. As you learn to love you even more – messes, struggles,
imperfections and all, you will grow in expressions of His love to His children
on the earth. I can’t imagine anything that would please Him all the more. He
did say the greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself right? Yup!
He certainly did! I’m not looking to start my life all over again sis. I’m working what I’ve got as best I can. Be encouraged today sis. Your wishes and regrets for the past are irrelevant. I pray you will find it in you to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.
YOU, sis! For you really can’t love the God you don’t see, if you can’t fully
love the ‘You’ that you do see daily. You are His express manifestation of
glory sis. As you learn to love you even more – messes, struggles,
imperfections and all, you will grow in expressions of His love to His children
on the earth. I can’t imagine anything that would please Him all the more. He
did say the greatest commandment was to love your neighbor as yourself right? Yup!
He certainly did! I’m not looking to start my life all over again sis. I’m working what I’ve got as best I can. Be encouraged today sis. Your wishes and regrets for the past are irrelevant. I pray you will find it in you to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.
Be
blessed sis… for you surely are!
blessed sis… for you surely are!
This website was… how do you say it? Relevant!!
Finally I've found something that helped me. Appreciate
it!