Turning Our Past Into Our Future

 

Turning Our Past Into Our Future

 

    Today as I sat in church listening to my Pastor speak about God and His Word, he mentioned that we need to focus on the future and the eternity with God and Heaven and not focus on our past.  In a lot of ways he was very right.  When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and understand the sacrifice that He made so that we will have the guarantee of eternal life, then we need to focus on the future.  However, we must never forget our past.  It is our past that has given us the testimony that we have and has contributed to who, each of us are today.  

    Jeannine and I were joined this morning at church with friends from college and one of my fraternity brothers.  Yes I was in a frat and I know it has surprised some of you, but to others you are probably saying I knew it.  It was such a wonderful time having them join us and we were so blessed to have lunch with them after and do some catching up.  Thank you, Rudy and Cheri for joining us today.

    But as we were talking and then on the way home, I was thinking about the person I was in college.  I definitely was not the person I am today and definitely not the person that I would have imagined that God would invite to join Him and His Work.   I tell people, when I get the chance that God invites “imperfect people to do His perfect work.”  And honestly in my case I was and still am the definite example of imperfect.  But yet God still invites me to join Him. 

    When I am asked how I came to do what I do today, I love telling the story of what brought us to where we are today.  Some might say it is bragging (Jeannine says I just love telling long stories), but I guess it is actually bragging.  I love to tell the story because only God could have changed me to make me what I am today.  For me it is bragging on a God who loves me so much.  Only God could have changed me and then after changing me, would promise me to ALWAYS take care of me and my family.  My God, our God is remarkable and unfathomable. 

    So I guess the reason for this installment is to challenge myself and each of you to always remember how our God has taken our pasts and made our future into something perfect, if you are willing to accept that perfection He guarantees.  Our pasts make us who we are, our past gives God something to use today and the future, and our pasts give us something to brag about: the LOVE and FORGIVENESS of our God. 

    If you are reading this blog and want to accept the future that God is offering and feel your past is too big for Him to forgive, please know that nothing is too big for God.  God is ready and waiting to use all of us to do His perfect work.  All we have to do is ask Him.