Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Chosen to be faithful

      I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. Psalm 119:30
     My wife and I were having a discussion as we drove once again up Highway 1/84 to Shreveport, our new home away from home away from home, last night.
     I mentioned in passing that next Tuesday is my 20th anniversary. She asked what, since I hadn't said anything about it leading up to that slight mention.
     I reminded her that my walk with Jesus began with my last drink, 20 years ago on the day after my 42nd birthday. 
     I said it wasn't a big deal, which I've learned is a passive/aggressive way of saying, it's a big deal (to me). But then I said in another passing manner, nothing really had come of it.
     I don't know why I said that, or what I even meant. But clearly life had come from it. 
     I was reminded of what I'm preaching about this coming Sunday as part of a five-part series of sermons on the Journey of a Lifetime.
     In Psalm 73, the writer begins by saying, "But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness."

     I did nothing grand all those years ago, nothing humble, nothing to write about. I had a problem, I couldn't fix it, I wanted only to be a sports editor of a major metropolitan newspaper.
    I made it there. And it wasn't nearly enough.
    So, I sought help on my 42nd birthday. 
    And life changed. Slowly. More quickly. More quickly still.
    I never imagined in a million years I would be where I am now.
    But the writer of the Psalm finishes by saying My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength in my heart.
   Everything that has happened is because I realized I couldn't. Couldn't stop or couldn't start or would never and never could or whatever of a 1,000 reasons I could come up with.
     All I believe were excuses to face the fact that God was chasing me, till He caught me.
     The world didn't change because of my one decision. But my world certainly did. I thank Him most days that I'm not forgetting where I've come from.
     I figured I would go ahead and get this one out of the way before Tuesday when I write about what this really has meant.
     Thanks for listening (and reading) all this time. In some for or fashion, these things have been going on for most of the past 17 years. 


1 comment:

Unknown said...

Praise God for you!