Yesterday marked 22 years since I gave my heart to Jesus Christ. I always believed in God but never understood that He loved me for who I was because He MADE me that way. It still took several years for that to sink in – in fact, I don’t think I really understood the full concept of faith until the last few years.
What changed? I did to be quite honest.
I realized that all the “bad” things that had happened in my life were all lessons that God wanted me to learn to be fully prepared for His purpose for me. Once I figured this out, I started seeing my life in a whole new way. Suddenly bipolar, fibromyalgia, arthritis, asthma, etc. didn’t seem like life sentences. Now they were opportunities to help others. And I have.
A very serious suicide attempt gave me what I needed to help a family deal with the loss of their daughter in a similar way. I was able to give them an idea of what might have been going on for her.
My attending culinary school didn’t land me a high paying chef position but it gave me the tools I need to handle my and my hubby’s food intolerances and help with planning church and other large meals.
My asthma and throat problems helped me to deal with my father’s COPD and swallowing difficulties (disphagia) in his last few years living with us.
I could go on, but I don’t want it to sound like I am bragging. It is exactly the opposite. I am humbled by the way the Father uses me for His good. It gives me purpose and helps me through my own rough times. Every day I wake up thanking Him for another day, another chance to enjoy His beauty and grace.
While I may not mention my faith in every post, it is at the forefront of everything I do, say, write and think.
Being Lydia! 
58 years ago I was baptized,been Christ’s ever since, sealed with the sign of the cross, brought up in a parsonage. Blessed to have never had to give my heart, It was always his!
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Mine actually was always His as well – I just didn’t know it!
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“While I may not mention my faith in every post, it is at the forefront of everything I do, say, write and think.”
Thank you for saying this. I know I’m not a very good Christian most of the time, and I wonder sometimes if it really is my duty to explicitly mention God in everything…But the thing is, I believe that if I am truly in him and living for him, then he will show in whatever I do, regardless of what it is. It always comes down to him and his grace, does it not? Regardless of what we’re doing.
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My husband often says when he is praying “Let Your love and Your light shine through us” and I like it because that is what He wants us to be – beacons of Him. I have not been able to attend church more than a handful of times in the last several years because of my father’s health (he lived with us the last four years of his life) and my health. But I still feel I strong in my faith because I pray, do devotionals and just love the Lord with all my heart. There is an old hymn I love “They will know that we are Christians by our love”.
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Well, I definitely think that’s my issue. I attend services, but that’s it. I attend. And I very rarely do a devotional. Sometimes it just feels useless because I never hear God…but then again who am I to complain about not hearing God when he rarely hears from me! You might have just inspired me to get back into my Bible reading. 😉
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I love that hymn! Such true words. 🙂
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