Most of us know the quote, “Yesterday
is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that is why they
call it 'the present'”. We use it to remind ourselves that today is
what counts. We must focus on what is in front of us, and cherish
today for what it brings us. This is so critical. When we begin
focusing our thoughts and energy on the past or the future, we miss
out on the blessings God is prepared to give us today. Jesus told us
not to worry about tomorrow “because today has enough trouble of
it's own”. We cannot dwell on our pasts because Jesus came to free
us from the troubles of our pasts. Yet, we must have a healthy dose
of both past and future if we are going to make the most of our
present.
I have a tendency to dwell on the
future, especially right now. I want to know what the next big
adventure God will allow me to experience. I want to start preparing
now so I do not have to wait another five years before, and then
finding out I am suppose to be halfway around the world in three
weeks. However, I am queen of last minute life altering decisions.
Whatever happens next, I am sure it will happen in the same manner as
every other major event in my life: the absolute last minute! I
believe I held a pretty good balance of looking to the future, and
also focusing on what God is doing today. I will take a little bit of
time each day to do research and pray about my future, but I do not
let myself get consumed with thoughts of the future. I love being
apart of what God is doing now. He moves in so many amazing ways. I
feel so incredibly blessed to be witness to changed lives, and
inspired hope. I would not exchange those moments for knowing exactly
how my life pans out.
However, I neglect taking time to
reflect on everything God teaches me. I am the kind of person who
dwells on the mistakes of my past, and satan loves to use that to his
advantage. I dwell on what went wrong, instead of praising God for
the lessons He taught me. To avoid such pain, I try to ignore the
past as much as humanly possible. Yet, we learn so much from our
mistakes. I believe we are suppose to use our mistakes to help those
around us. Ecclesiastes has it right, there is nothing new under the
sun. Someone else may be going through the same struggles we went
through. Why not teach them what we know? I was reminded the
importance of reflecting on what God is doing and teaching you in
ministry. I realized I had not stopped to see where God has brought
me since coming to Uganda. I have been so focused on the many things
He has placed on my heart as I try and figure out which one He is
calling me to serve for the rest of my life. I spent much of this
past week in reflection, and was broken as I reflected the absolute
beauty of God's moving hand.
Since coming to Uganda, God has taught
me more about grace than I ever imagined. I constantly need to humble
myself before God so He can fill me with more grace than the day
before. I need Him to guide me in this grace as I deal with people
who are so different than me – because only through grace will
there be healthy relationships in such differences. I need the grace
to carry on as the world beats me down to rob me of my joy. I need
grace to handle the days when I feel I have nothing more I can give.
Everyone wants a piece of me, and grace keeps me moving forward. I
need the grace to walk through the fires and waters of this world.
Grace is key to my time in Uganda. I never understood the full power
of grace. I knew what grace was, and I could explain it, but never
with as much passion as I can now. I am completely dependent on the
grace of God. I need a constant dose of grace to get me through
without going crazy (well, that and a good cup of coffee every
morning!). Grace gives me the courage to stand, and the peace to know
God has everything under control.
If not for my time here in Jinja, I
would have missed the complete picture of grace. I would not have
felt the power the way I do here, and my understanding would lack
something powerful. I would also have something less to give to
others. Our experiences in life will lead us to help others in the
same situation. Now that I have experienced grace on such a deep
level, it is my job to give it away. As I reflect on my new
understanding of grace, I see that I am also suppose to reflect
grace. I must live in a constant state of grace so those around me
will experience what Christ has to offer. Christ said to Paul, “My
grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). I do not need anything other than
His constant grace, and I choose to reflect that to the world.
Whether past, present, or future, I
choose to allow grace to flood my life. With that commitment, I know
everything will be made right, because the grace of God is perfect.
Comments
Post a Comment