Continued from here: Love Like Love…

Some of you will say, that there are lot of  “I’s” in this post,  and I get that.   However the purpose of my blogging has never been about me but the person looking at the other screen reading.  In all I have been through the lessons I have learned.   From Blogged Bible Studies, to Philter48.   From Faith35  to Continued….100,000 miles or 40 years.  For the past seven years I have blogged hoping that as “you” read my story, maybe a seed of Faith can be planted in your heart.   My story is no more important than anyone else.  But…

When oh so long ago (5 Years) I started Faith35.blogspot.com  my hope was to journal my way through my growth in faith in Christ.  At that point I was married 11 years, Emile was 5,  CPKIV in process shall we say…. And I was more confused about my faith than ever.  I really did not know what I believed, and what might come as a shock, if I believed.   So I set out to find out, and it has been a journey that really started seven years ago.

Truth be told. 7 years ago I didn’t know the Love of Christ that I do now.  I didn’t see Him at work in the people He placed around me.  All of whom were responsible for planting a seed of faith in me.  I just didn’t see Christ’s work in my life, because I was to busy fighting issues in my life on my own.  Everyone who lives life faces a choice.  Do it all on your own or rely on others.  Ultimately those others are Christ working through his Body the Church.

God has taken me on an amazing journey the past 7 years, that has me now walking with Christ closer than I ever thought or imagined.

Through the death of my Dad, and two years of grief.  God turned my grief to strength, as I realized it is OK to hurt when you miss someone you love.  I used that new found, yet untested, strength to push forward through many other trials.

My marriage was struggling bad 5 years ago.  By learning to rely on Christ I realized He is the answer to my desires.  I no longer have to put pressure on my Amazing wife for my needs.  I am free to focus and love on her and my family without worrying about receiving back.   The cool thing is I now recognize the love  they return to me through God more so than ever before.

3 years ago, my job situation changed and I was taken out of a leadership role.  But with Christ as my model, and a building Kingdom perspective, I moved forward with a better understanding of who I worked for.   Now through hard work and lots of Faith, I now lead at work with a focus on severing those who work for me.

I know…I know… My struggles and journey of faith are not on par with some others around the world.  Heck they don’t even compare to some of the struggles going on currently in my family.  They are though what has shaped me to where God has me today.  And you see in 2 short weeks, I turn 40…

My age doesn’t really matter much to me, what matters is my confidence to perform the tasks laid out in front of me.  I am amazed where my faith is now compared to seven years ago.  These past  seven years my faith has changed from just believing (Maybe)  to reliance on Christ.  To be honest as I get closer to 40(two weeks), I still feel like a 16 year old kid that doesn’t have a clue, so I have to rely on Him to get me through.   The past seven years I have come to understand how reliance in the power of Christ allows me to react in certain situations.  I know when it kicks in by instinct and when it is a struggle to overcome an influence of this world. I hardly recognize the scars from the hard lessons in life.  Christ has moved me forward close to Him past those scars…And it wasn’t until recently that I really started thinking about the past seven years.   Before recently,  I was happy to survive and move forward, now God has me wanting to live and move forward.  God has shown me I am worthy.

The list of people who have taught, rebuked and help train me is long, each one has their own story.    Each one of them are worthy.   Each one has shown me a different part of the Great Body and Church that is Christ.

To the reader who does not know, or has reached out to Christ.  At each significant milestone the past seven years a lesson was learned….If God can do this for me he can do this for you.  You are worthy.   You are worthy of God’s grace and love.  You are worthy of Salvation.   God has a way of taking your life and proving your worth if you let him… And oh will he show you how worthy you are.

To be continued…