A Year Ago Today
A year ago today I entered a building and saw faces that would forever change the way I know and understand God. I was exposed to a world I never really knew existed. The man that introduced me to it, did so gently, somewhat hesitantly, and with tears of passion, but without sugarcoating the realities. A year ago today the gospel of Jesus Christ became more alive, more real, and more needed. The brokenness of this world became more painfully evident; injustice, regret, shame, hatred, hurt.
I recently looked back at an old journal entry I had written in 2014. I prayed that God would shock me with the evidence of His love for people during my lifetime. A year ago today, my heart was forever changed but not because I saw men, despised, rejected, angry, ashamed and hurt but because I saw the dark, brokenness of my own heart before Jesus became despised, rejected, and murdered for me. I saw myself made whole and new and right in the eyes of God. The man in front of me and myself... we were no different than the men around us. But we did know the ability of the love of Jesus to rescue people. We knew the very person that could set those around us free, truly free.
Humbled, and desperate for God to move, we prayed.
And we still pray. Because a year ago today my God graciously began to slowly challenge my comfort-seeking heart, to abandon comfort and security and go to dark and broken places so that a new heart might become a reality for those people... who are just like me.
Praise God that my ways are not His ways... because His are so much better.
A year later, my understanding of the gospel to heal and rescue is what makes me speak, and move, and ask, because I have seen the evidence of God's love for people.
I recently looked back at an old journal entry I had written in 2014. I prayed that God would shock me with the evidence of His love for people during my lifetime. A year ago today, my heart was forever changed but not because I saw men, despised, rejected, angry, ashamed and hurt but because I saw the dark, brokenness of my own heart before Jesus became despised, rejected, and murdered for me. I saw myself made whole and new and right in the eyes of God. The man in front of me and myself... we were no different than the men around us. But we did know the ability of the love of Jesus to rescue people. We knew the very person that could set those around us free, truly free.
Humbled, and desperate for God to move, we prayed.
And we still pray. Because a year ago today my God graciously began to slowly challenge my comfort-seeking heart, to abandon comfort and security and go to dark and broken places so that a new heart might become a reality for those people... who are just like me.
Praise God that my ways are not His ways... because His are so much better.
A year later, my understanding of the gospel to heal and rescue is what makes me speak, and move, and ask, because I have seen the evidence of God's love for people.
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