Thursday, August 2, 2012

Being Aware of the Blessings

I was in Ontario two weeks ago visiting my dad in Napanee- where I lived most of my Highschool years. I decided to go for a walk and get caught up on some sermons. So of course I went right to my Steve Deneff sermons and started listening.

He was preaching about "your place in line" and how as Christians we are called to be ok with our place and stop desiring to be in someone else's place. Awesome message.

But he gets to the end and challenges the listeners to consider all that God has done and realize how blessed we are. This was highly convicting because it's a lot easier to want to be eye up what others have and wish it was me than to be truly content and thankful.

But then in what I think was a providential moment Pastor Deneff said to consider all that God has done for you in the last 10 years!  Imagine going back to yourself 10 years ago and telling yourself what life would look like. The amazing thing was that I was listening to this part as I walked by my Highschool that I haven't been to in 10 years. Immediately I was aware of all that God had done.

10 years ago I was a boy in Napanee, now a man living in, and married to a girl from, Fredericton...with a beuatiful daughter  I grew up in small country churches, now pastoring a good size church in a city. I grew up shuddering, now I preach every Sunday- as well as preached in Ukraine, Guatemala, and Ghana.  And on and on I went down the list of big and small things that I was blessed with and if I would have told the me attending that Highschool I never would have believed it.

I have a hard time seeing God's blessing or how He's changing me when I have a small narrow vision, but when I step back and look at the big picture it looks totally different!

What about you?  Step back and see where God has brought you...would you have imagined it?  It's amazing to see God's hand at work when you let Him lead.  Have you thanked Him recently?

But maybe for others looking back creates guilt and shame, remember, there is grace and forgiveness. If you made a mess of the last 10, it doesn't mean you need to in the next 10. Let Him lead, let Him guide you, and see if He doesn't 'wow you' with where He leads!

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