FROM PAUPER TO PRICELESS!
Sunday’s Monday
A simple title from a fairytale statement that carries impossible dreams of rags to riches; which almost always fuel heart-crushing realities, that breed hopeless frustration. After many years of climbing that ladder to (what I thought was) success and falling into failure every time. I found I could no longer cope with the anxiety, worry, and shame that always accompanied failure, so I hid, using every means necessary. I thought that priceless was more money than a family could spend in a lifetime and success became a position or title greater than any other. I truly felt that I needed all that “just to be a somebody; in my nobody world”. Never conceding to the reality that I could never get there because “I was in my way”. Ergo, I lived with this intense battle raging inside of me, which destroyed my attitude and ultimately hurt everyone close to me. I was acutely naive with a very heavy dose of stupidity blended in, which made for the perfect pigeon, ready for Satan to pluck and he did, “repeatedly”! All the while people were praying for me to receive 2 Timothy 2:26 (NLT), 26 Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.
Jesus saved me, and I started learning about Him, still knowing nothing of myself. Basically, I was a dry alcoholic, which means nothing changed in my head; the only change came from the heart that actually kept the internal battle raging. My head and my heart were in a tug of war. But I acted like I was at peace for everyone’s sake while wondering if Jesus saved me. God allowed me the privilege of meeting Pastor Joe Dillard and in his first sermon, I clearly heard what he said when he said, “One of the greatest miracles Jesus has ever performed is that of a changed life.” God’s word alludes to this in Matthew 16:24; Mark 1:17; and also, in Luke 9:23 which is my favorite; Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. Giving up your way is quite possibly the hardest thing a human can do but Jesus has to empty us of the old thinking, old habits, and earthly reasoning. He demands our selfish self be put to death to make way for the new person He is birthing.
So, 25 years ago I asked God, “Now what?” And He took me to 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), 7 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! A year or so after that, I found a cross stitch that my first mother-in-law Helen Jones did for me many years before and I hung it on the wall beside my bed to remind me daily that God gave that to her to share with me for such a time as my understanding would grow to fulfill what it said; “I went outside to find a friend and no friends were anywhere, I went outside to be a friend and friends were everywhere!” 25 years ago I felt God say, this is true of me as well “If you’ll go outside to live like me you’ll find me everywhere! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! Now that is priceless!
Father God; May we all rejoice in Paul’s statement in Romans 8:38 (NLT), And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow - not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Thank you, Lord, for these encouraging words of love, may we find peace among them. Amen
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!
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