Sunday, September 12, 2010

The Beginning of Something Special

I've followed multiple blogs on here for some time, but I finally caved and decided it would be fun to start a blog of my own. Though I hope someone else decides to read this, it is as much a therapeutic device for me as anything.

Far too many times in my life, I take for granted all of the blessings God has given me. That is why I decided to call this blog "Evidences of Grace." Anytime I get stressed, overwhelmed, or basically pouting and whining like a little kid, I want to be able to reflect on all of the amazing things my King has done for me. I'll try not to ramble too much, but I'm really good at it, so we'll see what happens.

The number one evidence of grace, above anything else, is my Lord Jesus Christ and His love. My Savior, my Rock, my Messiah. Without Christ and his blood, I would be lost, a sinner condemned for eternity. I would have no purpose in this life at all. I can't imagine how someone can go through life with its trials, tribulations, hardships, responsibilities, disappointments, etc...without the relationship with God that Christ's sacrifice has afforded us. If that were the only blessing I ever received in my life, it would be way more than I ever deserve.

Another amazing blessing from God is my beautiful, awesome, amazing girlfriend, Jennica Ford. God has blessed with someone in this world who loves me and understands me and is willing to look past all of my weakness and failures and love me in spite of them. Her blog, http://jennicagayle.blogspot.com/, is an excellent read and I encourage whoever may read this to go check it out. She is such an amazing woman of God who pushes me and challenges me in my walk with Him everyday. She is so open and honest and has already helped me to learn how to open up. It details the crazy and amazing way God brought us together, took us apart for a while, but then ultimately brought us back together. Though I am secure in how I feel about her, God constantly reminds me about how she really is the girl who completes me. Recently, I was having a really stressful day and not dealing with responsibility or anything in general very well. Though she watched me get more and more frustrated and listened to me rant and rave, she stood by my side and encouraged me and helped support me. It's those times that truly make me realize how lucky I am. I am so excited God has led me to her and I'm so excited to see what live is like serving my Father alongside her. Just in case you were wondering, Jenn will probably make an appearance in nearly every one of my entries.

On top of that, God has truly blessed me with the opportunity to participate in Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at UCA. It is a campus ministry where I have seen God transform my life and change me in ways I never imagined. In the last couple years, I went from practicing a religion to living a relationship with God, and Chi Alpha was instrumental in that. I have brothers and sisters in Christ who truly love me and build me up and support me in prayer or whatever else I may need. Through Chi Alpha, I was able to go to Africa, where God changed my heart and gave me a passion for a people I barely know. I am so excited to go back, but if I start talking about Lesotho I may never quit typing.

I'm also involved with the City of Hope Outreach (CoHO), a Christian non-profit that works in Oakwood trailer park in Conway. I am so blessed to have an opportunity to go and serve a people that houses those who God has a heart for: the poor and the oppressed. Oakwood is very poor and crime-ridden, but in the CoHO's last couple years, God has already changed so many lives and transformed the community into a better place. I am confident this change will continue to happen and I am so blessed to be a part of it and to see it happen.

My family is another thing I am thankful for. God blessed me with a stable, loving home growing up. I could not have asked for a better set of parents. My mom and my dad love me and care about me and take care of me in a way that is so selfless and pure that it will definitely impact the way I care for my children. My sister, who is four years older than me, is one of my closest friends. She is an amazing Christian woman, a true rock of the faith. Watching her live and walk in her faith is awe-inspiring at times. Her strength and love are so evident in everything she does. She exudes the fruits of the Spirit on a constant basis and is constantly challenging me. She is so wise and always is willing to talk, or more like listen, when I have a problem.

Back to the number one evidence of grace, it's that Christ takes my flawed, filthy, human self and transforms it through his beautiful blood and somehow brings glory to His name. The fact that he even chose me for this honor floors me and humbles me. God has called me to some form of ministry, to make it my life to make His name famous in the most literal of ways. I don't know what that is going to look like at all, but I am just so humbled, scared, excited, overwhelmed, and pretty much every other emotion possible that God saw me fit to labor and struggle for Him. I am not worthy of this honor at all and without Christ I have nothing to offer God. It's only because of Him that I am able to serve, worship, and love Him.

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