Wednesday, October 14, 2009

CELEBRATING LIFE - AUTUMN 2009

Celebrating Life

I’ve come to realize more and more that to enjoy life we must accept God’s will for us each and every day.

We know so little about God’s plans for us. We get caught up in trying to figure out the meaning of things. To trust in God does mean that there will always be unanswered questions. It is just so much better to leave things in the hands of Someone so much better qualified than I to handle things.

It took many years for me to come to this conclusion. I like many others liked to think that I was in control. I could make my plans and lists of things to do and then do them. I could hug my husband and my children and love them so much that there would never be any thing wrong in their lives. I could make a happy home and all would be well.

But then as we all know things just to not go our way all the time. Soon or later we all come to the conclusion that the one in control isn’t us for sure. Bad things happen to good people and there is only one thing we can do about it…and that is to trust in God.

I’ve always had a great faith in God. I was taught at an early age that to believe in Him was to have eternal life. I just don’t remember a time that He wasn’t apart of my life. My perceptions of Him and His purpose for my life is what has changed over the years.

We cannot go back and change the past, but we can accept ourselves as we are and stop relying on ourselves to fix our problems. He can turn our pain into gain and our mess into miracles.

I still have a plaque on my kitchen wall that says: Because I’m the Mom – that’s Why. I used that phrase many times when the babes were young and asked me over and over again WHY? I guess that is what God said to me when I questioned Why? Because I am God, that is why. Accepting that there is a time and a season for every purpose under heaven was not an easy lesson at all.

I am still a work in progress. Knowing that God is everything and that we are nothing without Him takes some time to accept. At least I was that way for me. My struggle to find JOY in life wasn’t easy at all, but I did.

One of my sons once looked at me and shook his head and asked - when did you get to be so holy acting? I didn’t realize that I was any different than I’d always been. After all I’d raised all my children in the faith and taught them what I knew about being a Christian. I always took the time to tell them of Jesus and to pray with them. We always prayed together as a family every day. What could be different about me? I’ve always been this way, I replied.

But I know now that I wasn’t always that way. Even though my heart was in the right place, my actions must not have been. My faith has grown much stronger and I did learn that powerful lesson to trust God and to celebrate each and every one of the days God gives to me..

I’m not perfect and I definitely do not say and do everything the right way. I still have trouble and get off the beaten track at times, but the Good Lord is always there for me when I need Him and I know now where my ever present help and strength comes from.

I no longer ask why, but try to learn from what ever happens.

ENGAGING IN LIFE

Every one likes to think that celebrating each day is a good thing. But not everyone thinks that God is the reason we can do just that. God is the only one who can give us life and He is the one that wants us to enjoy it abundantly.






4 comments:

Angie said...

This is just what I needed to read today Ma; Thank you.

love, Angie, xx

dtbrents said...

I love your blog. So much to read and see. I hope you have a wonderful week. Doylene

Barbara said...

Amen, Amen all so true and so right, we can do nothing of ourselves, only Christ working through us.

Terra said...

The photo in your post is pretty with its orange glowing leaves and your words are wise.