More than I could be

Sunday’s Monday

I have really had an excellent week. Thank you, Jesus! All that my planned projects have went better than expected and I even found time to spend a day working at the Hickory House of Hope on a project they had going. Hickory Brother Night was off the chart this month! I wish every man could have heard the speaker’s testimony, it was a heart opener. Pat had a very nice Mother’s Day with good food, presents and rest. Our Loftin Family Reunion was held today, and I had myself a good old time. I thank God for the family members that I know and pray He will lead me to know even more.

At the Hickory Brother Night meeting this month a song was played that I’ve heard hundreds of times, but this time was different. The title of the song is; “You Raise Me Up,” and the thing that made this hearing different was the statement, “You raise me up to more than I can be.” My old self would ask the question: How can I be more than I can be? My new self can answer: I can’t! I cannot possibly go beyond my limitations. I don’t have the where with all to be smarter than I am, stronger than I am, more determined than I am and so on it goes. However; that which is humanly impossible for man (me), reveals no challenge for God. By the time this thought had processed, my brain working double time with how to put into words, what He was showing me. It came to me in bits and pieces and I’ve put what I received together in hopes that you can understand as I have. Biblically; 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV), But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. I am chosen, to be one of God’s people; I am now part of a royal priesthood in a holy nation; all of which I wasn’t before, God’s call. This is the beginning of my journey to be more than I can be in God’s plan. On the other hand, I was vividly reminded of who I was and where I was before God. One of the easiest scriptures for me to understand also turned out to be the hardest for me to learn. Galatians 6:8 (NIV), Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. I reaped that which I sowed for many years, in which covered a host of sins and yet I continued to sow those seeds of misery, depression, hardship, stress, sorrow and heartbreak. I lived that old saying, if it wasn’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any luck at all. That is until God showed me, “not told me, but showed me,” how ridiculous it was. I was a self-made nothing, going nowhere in a hurry! Oh, I had skills, but they were hollow, manmade and actually worthless in the way that I used them. I had a knowledge of Jesus, but I didn’t know Jesus. I had a head full of ½ truths about the bible and all sorts of preconceived notions dealing with the church’s. This is a long story with an endless list of how bad I was and how low one can go. But for God! God called me, picked me up off my face, washed the junk out of me, gave me His love, encouragement and hope. He laid out a plan and gave me the desire along with the wisdom to follow it through and today I look back in awe of what God has done. Don’t hear what I am not saying, the glory is not mine (I couldn’t get out of the muck), God did it all! Philippians 2:13 (NIV), for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. As for being more than I can be, I could write a book! God has put me with men of such Godly wisdom that I live my life in awe. He has set me at tables of men where His spirit glows from with in them. He has led me into positions of prominence, which I could have never dreamed. He has showed me His love, faithfulness, grace and mercy. He has become my place of comfort, my sanity dwells within the walls of His wisdom. He is, that which I was reaching for in my worst days and that which I cried for, in my hours of deep hopelessness. He heard, He called, and I’ve not been the same! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Everyday, I have the opportunity to become brand new and so can you. Join me!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

COMMENTS / ENCOURAGEMENT WELCOMED; 05/20/2018