


| The Battle Within-3 Thank the Lord for Second Chances (And Third, and Fourth, and ...) |
| One morning at church as we were singing "I went to the enemy's camp and took back what he stole from me" I began thinking of the many things that the Lord has changed in my life. I have come from a life of dealing and using drugs, of hurting everyone around me, mainly the ones I cared for the most. It is amazing how deceived we can get. My prayer throughout this time since the Lord finally got my attention has been that I would begin to be a blessing to the ones around me and not a curse. That instead of me using my life to fulfill my selfish desires that I would use it to share with the other lost, desperate, and hurting people out there the hope and peace I have found in Jesus. Today, instead of always being worried about my problems, my concerns, I try to spend my time caring for the needs of others. Now don't get me wrong, I have by far became a saint and I still fight this ugly flesh like everyone else, but today I try to remember that if it wasn't for the Lord, I would not be here at all. Being saved from more near death experiences than I can count, I am quite sure that even though I know the Lord loves me and saved me because He loves me, I also know He saved me for much more. I believe He saved me so I could share what He has done for a man the world had given up on, a man that was beyond hope, "hopeless." Well as I said, I still make mistakes. But now I have learned that instead of after making a mistake, where I would listen to the voices that would say "There you go again. You will never change. There is no hope for you," I now pick myself up(with His help), dust myself off and go on. I continue moving forward, instead of what we are all tempted to do, which is to sit down, give up, and generally fall back even farther. Today I can get up right where I fell and continue on, this time hopefully learning a lesson instead of just taking another beating. Today, I just don't give up. And you don't have too either because I promise, if you don't give up, He will not give up on you either. What an awesome and gracious God we serve. I truly stand in awe of Him. I pray that each and every one of us will be able to see ourselves through God's eyes, as the beautiful and strong men and women of God that He made us all to be. May the scales be permanently removed from our eyes and may we always pick ourselves up and keep moving forward, with His help. |
