It's my birthday everyone, woohoo! It's crazy to think that this is my last year as a teenager and that I'm more than 1/2 way done with my first year of college. Life really does fly by!
Birthdays, for me at least, are always a time of reflection. In the techno ago in which we live, birthday wishes are usually given through texts, emails and facebook posts. This method of wishing happy birthday requires less effort, is faster and requires less thought. I am in no way saying that this is bad! Personally, I love getting dozens of well wishes from people! Because of this faster, easier method of well wishing, many people wish me happy birthday that I haven't seen in years but am friends with on Facebook. Their posts cause me to think about the last time I saw them, what we were doing and why I haven't seen them sense. It causes me to reflect on our relationship. This birthday, I decided to do something a little different. Although God hasn't sent me a text or email I'm sure He's thinking about me. Yes, He does think of each one of us constantly, but I think today He may be admiring His handiwork and be thinking, "Man I'm excited that she's finally beginning to really trust me, so that she can do the ministry I've called her into to the best of her ability!"
This past year, God has provided for me in ah-may-zing ways! At times He was my umbrella and at others He was my tornado shelter. During this past semester I thought the pain and hurt I felt would never end as He allowed one trial after another (some were extremely painful, mind you) into my life. At times I called out for mercy, for peace for comfort and I felt empty. At times, I honestly wondered if He'd left (funny how we think crazy, untrue things like that when things aren't going the way that we'd wanted). Now, however, He has delivered me from those trials. He is giving me wisdom to look back on the trials, especially the ones that were the most painful, and make me realize that those were for my good! God is blessing me so much already this year and I am very, very thankful that He allowed me to go through those trials. Most importantly, that He carried me through!
Each birthday, although I'm only 19, reminds me that I'm one birthday closer to going home. True, each day, each minute, each second, we are closer to going Home. As a believer in the life, death and resurrection of Christ, I know where my eternal home is. I can be excited and filled with hope that this pain-filled world is not my home. That I am not simple a bunch of macro molecules that occurred by accident and has no purpose. Instead, with Christ, I am a greatly valued and created being. Who He desires and seeks after, to the point where He came as a man, was suffered and tortured so that one day I may be with Him. People mention all the time how they are excited for the gold streets and big houses of heaven. Personally, as someone who just finished going through some very difficult trials, I'm just excited to be with the God of peace in a perfect place. A place where there is nothing but joy! A place where sin has not touched a thing! Picture that for a second: A place where sin has not corrupted your body, your relationships, the animals, the plants NOTHING! Yeah, wow! I cannot wait to go there! Don't get me wrong, I completely love life and the ministries to which God has called me, but man. My soul is excited to go home. And, I'm sure with more birthdays, although I'll be finding new ways to love life, my soul will become more and more excited to go Home.
Where's your home? Who carries you through storms? I pray that you are able to have this hope that I'm talking about. If not, message me or ask someone you know that is a professing Christian. There would be no greater birthday gift than to have God use me to help someone else decide to make Heaven their eternal home!.
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