Something that I realised today is that I have been finished high school long enough to have repeated it twice! I have entered into my 5th year since finishing. I have also been finished long enough to have completed a degree and moved into a career had I chosen. Sometimes I wonder if maybe that's what I should have done. I suppose it's in us all to ask the "what if" questions at one time or another. What if I hadn't moved to Ottawa when I finished high school? What if I hadn't done team Canada? What if I hadn't come to England? I suppose it's so easy to get caught up in these thoughts sometimes. Perhaps because I'm continually finding myself at a place where I'm searching out my next steps my mind tends to wander to the ones already taken. Eventually, though, I will be in a place where the steps I'm about to take will be the one's I look back on and wonder "what if"
Ever look back over the past and notice how much you've changed? I mean in so many ways I'm still the same me, yet there are lessons I've learned and experiences I've had that I didn't have back when I was in high school. How would I have lived then if I knew the things about life I know now?
We were talking about Grace last night at youth group. What is grace and why we sometimes live outside it trying to please God with our own actions. I'm so thankful for God's grace in my life. I can look back and know that even though there have been times I've made mistakes, times I've acted less than Christian like, times I've made wrong choices and know that God has never loved me less through any of it. His love has been constant and available even if I have been hardened to it at times or have not received it. It has never been about me, it has always been about Him and always will be.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
1 comment:
Hey Jenny,
Thanks for those thoughts on grace. I've just reached 18 for the second time round and it does get you thinking! As for the 'what if' of not doing Team Canada, I don't know that Heather and I would be in Canada now if you hadn't, and we almost certainly wouldn't have met you and have such a precious friend.
Don't spend too much time thinking on the 'what if's of the past. I have many 'what if's in my life, and if I look too long it can wear me down, I find it's better to remind myself of God's grace down the path that I have taken.
I've been realising that the 'what if's of the future can be just as taxing as the 'what if's of the past, and that God's grace is just as present ahead as it is behind. I've been trying to learn to rest in God's grace and the knowledge that He will lead us on and give us direction in His good timing! The wonderful thing is that even if we've messed up the past, God's grace is still ahead of us.
I was thinking about grace just this morning before reading your blog realising that it is so much more than "getting what we don't deserve", it is God lavishing all that He has upon us, supporting us, buoying us up, carrying us when we cannot go on, giving us strength when we have none of our own, providing for our needs and then blessing us with abundance beyond our needs, it is the gift of forgiveness that we cannot earn, it is giving us a family when we are alone, it is cheering us on when we are doing well and encouraging us when we are failing, it is the hand that reaches down, lifts us up and wipes away our tears, it is the kiss on our face that says "I love you my precious one", it is the hand holding us when we don't know where we are going or the direction we should take, it is the big hug that envelops us and tells us "well done", it is the peace that fills our hearts when circumstances would cause us to fear, it is the hope of a wonderful future both on this earth and when our Father takes us home, it is the heart of a loving Father pouring out upon the children that He dearly loves.
"Tis Grace hath brought us safe thus far, and Grace will lead us home."
God bless you and may you KNOW the abundant riches of His grace lavished upon you.
Oh, and I love the new hair, it looks great!
Post a Comment