Posts
Have you ever been at a point of decision - a water-shed moment in life - in which you were unsure of the path you should take, the direction you should go? Have you ever reached an impasse - you didn't have a clue as to what the next chapter of your life would look like? Oftentimes, those times prove to be life-changers. We may not realize it at the moment, but we get a week, a month, perhaps even a year or longer beyond the impasse, beyond the decision, beyond the uncertainty of the moment of crisis, and we then look back on it and see that it truly was a life-changing experience that has altered your life in ways you never would have dreamed.
As I look back over the years of my life - which are really beginning to rack up! - I see several water-shed moments, several decision-making experiences which changed the entire direction of my life at the point of decision. One such moment occurred on February 25, 1973. It was on that Sunday evening that I met Teresa Harrington. The story is much too long to share in this blog, but suffice it to say that I was overwhelmed, overcome, awestruck, smitten - you get the picture - by this beautiful young lady. I fell so madly in love with this breath-taking beauty that I proposed marriage the second time we saw each other - only two days later! We were married three months later, and have now shared 39 1/2 years together as husband and wife. That, truly, was a water-shed moment.
I wish I could say that the entire 39 1/2 years have been trouble-free, but sadly, that would be a horrible lie. The truth is, for the first four years of our married life, I really made life pretty miserable for Teresa. Oh, we had our good moments, to be sure, but for the most part those first four years were nothing but me living a life of total selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-seeking. It was all about me. Everything I did, I did it for me. Oh, if it happened to bring a little satisfaction to Teresa, if she received some good as a byproduct of my actions, that was okay - but the truth is, I did all that I did for me!
All of this has been shared to get to the second water-shed moment I would like to share. (We did have two children during the first four years of our marriage, and they were major water-shed moments. Perhaps that will be the subject of a future blog.) After putting up with four years of my total selfishness, Teresa and I finally reached the conclusion that we did not have a future together. Or, perhaps a better and more honest way to say that is, I didn't want to share my future with her. She simply did not fit into my personal plans. We had pretty much decided who would get what in our divorce settlement. I just wanted out so I could be free to live my life the way I wanted to live it with no hindrances from a wife and children.
But, God! Don't you just love those "But, God" moments! But God had different plans. He had plans for us that we would have never dreamed. He confronted me about my selfishness - no, let's call it what it is - He confronted me about my SIN! This water-shed moment changed everything, forever. Teresa and I both experienced the life-changing power of redemption. God forgave us, He redeemed us, He salvaged our broken lives, our broken relationship, our complete brokenness.
There are so many other water-shed moments, but this, by far, is the most important, the most life-changing, the most wonderful of all. Have you had that water-shed moment when God, by His amazing grace, opened your eyes to your desperate need of salvation, and have you turned to Him, and accepted His gift of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ? If you have, then I am sure you look back on that moment and recognize it to the most powerful watershed moment of your life.
But if you haven't had this moment, then why not have it right now - right where you are. It doesn't matter how broken you are, how messed up you are, how much you have hurt yourself or others. God, in His grace, gave His Son as your substitute, to pay the penalty for your sins, to make it possible for you to be forgiven, reconciled, SAVED! And when you experience His amazing grace, that water-shed moment will change everything. Please, do it now before it is eternally too late.
As I look back over the years of my life - which are really beginning to rack up! - I see several water-shed moments, several decision-making experiences which changed the entire direction of my life at the point of decision. One such moment occurred on February 25, 1973. It was on that Sunday evening that I met Teresa Harrington. The story is much too long to share in this blog, but suffice it to say that I was overwhelmed, overcome, awestruck, smitten - you get the picture - by this beautiful young lady. I fell so madly in love with this breath-taking beauty that I proposed marriage the second time we saw each other - only two days later! We were married three months later, and have now shared 39 1/2 years together as husband and wife. That, truly, was a water-shed moment.
I wish I could say that the entire 39 1/2 years have been trouble-free, but sadly, that would be a horrible lie. The truth is, for the first four years of our married life, I really made life pretty miserable for Teresa. Oh, we had our good moments, to be sure, but for the most part those first four years were nothing but me living a life of total selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-seeking. It was all about me. Everything I did, I did it for me. Oh, if it happened to bring a little satisfaction to Teresa, if she received some good as a byproduct of my actions, that was okay - but the truth is, I did all that I did for me!
All of this has been shared to get to the second water-shed moment I would like to share. (We did have two children during the first four years of our marriage, and they were major water-shed moments. Perhaps that will be the subject of a future blog.) After putting up with four years of my total selfishness, Teresa and I finally reached the conclusion that we did not have a future together. Or, perhaps a better and more honest way to say that is, I didn't want to share my future with her. She simply did not fit into my personal plans. We had pretty much decided who would get what in our divorce settlement. I just wanted out so I could be free to live my life the way I wanted to live it with no hindrances from a wife and children.
But, God! Don't you just love those "But, God" moments! But God had different plans. He had plans for us that we would have never dreamed. He confronted me about my selfishness - no, let's call it what it is - He confronted me about my SIN! This water-shed moment changed everything, forever. Teresa and I both experienced the life-changing power of redemption. God forgave us, He redeemed us, He salvaged our broken lives, our broken relationship, our complete brokenness.
There are so many other water-shed moments, but this, by far, is the most important, the most life-changing, the most wonderful of all. Have you had that water-shed moment when God, by His amazing grace, opened your eyes to your desperate need of salvation, and have you turned to Him, and accepted His gift of grace through His Son, Jesus Christ? If you have, then I am sure you look back on that moment and recognize it to the most powerful watershed moment of your life.
But if you haven't had this moment, then why not have it right now - right where you are. It doesn't matter how broken you are, how messed up you are, how much you have hurt yourself or others. God, in His grace, gave His Son as your substitute, to pay the penalty for your sins, to make it possible for you to be forgiven, reconciled, SAVED! And when you experience His amazing grace, that water-shed moment will change everything. Please, do it now before it is eternally too late.
Add Comment
The decorations are down, packed into boxes, and stored away for another year. The Christmas season has once again come and gone, and things are back to normal. Another new year has begun, giving us all the opportunity to pause and reflect on the year just completed. As we reflect, we evaluate the events and happenings of the past year, and make plans for the new.
Perhaps in that time of reflection, we see those accomplishments we made, those commitments we kept, those promises we fulfilled. As we do, we sense a feeling of success, a feeling of pride for a job well done. Perhaps we notice new relationships which were made, and we relish the memories of those moments we were able to spend together with our new friends. Perhaps we notice older relationships which were strengthened, and we look forward to continuing to foster those relationships in the future. Perhaps we even notice some relationships which were mended - relationships that had suffered a setback, and now things have been set straight.
Then, also in that time of reflection, we perhaps see some areas of our lives which need a little attention, maybe even a little correction. Perhaps we see evidence of things left undone, commitments unkept, promises unfulfilled. Perhaps we look back with a bit of regret because we did not accomplish nearly as much as we intended. Perhaps we see relationships that still need to be mended, or strengthened, or rekindled. Perhaps we see promises we had made to ourselves or to others, and we must now admit that we did not keep those promises, or accomplish those commitments.
Well, it's not too late! A new year presents us with renewed opportunities to accomplish those things, and so much more. Some of those unkept commitments and broken promises may need a little personal time of asking forgiveness from those who may have suffered in some way. Perhaps it was a personal promise to someone close to you, and you realize you have not kept your word. Go to them; make a confession; ask forgiveness; and renew the promise. It's not too late!
Let's look at the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to make a fresh new start. And let's see what God can do through us as we make the most of the year for Him and His glory.
Perhaps in that time of reflection, we see those accomplishments we made, those commitments we kept, those promises we fulfilled. As we do, we sense a feeling of success, a feeling of pride for a job well done. Perhaps we notice new relationships which were made, and we relish the memories of those moments we were able to spend together with our new friends. Perhaps we notice older relationships which were strengthened, and we look forward to continuing to foster those relationships in the future. Perhaps we even notice some relationships which were mended - relationships that had suffered a setback, and now things have been set straight.
Then, also in that time of reflection, we perhaps see some areas of our lives which need a little attention, maybe even a little correction. Perhaps we see evidence of things left undone, commitments unkept, promises unfulfilled. Perhaps we look back with a bit of regret because we did not accomplish nearly as much as we intended. Perhaps we see relationships that still need to be mended, or strengthened, or rekindled. Perhaps we see promises we had made to ourselves or to others, and we must now admit that we did not keep those promises, or accomplish those commitments.
Well, it's not too late! A new year presents us with renewed opportunities to accomplish those things, and so much more. Some of those unkept commitments and broken promises may need a little personal time of asking forgiveness from those who may have suffered in some way. Perhaps it was a personal promise to someone close to you, and you realize you have not kept your word. Go to them; make a confession; ask forgiveness; and renew the promise. It's not too late!
Let's look at the beginning of a new year as an opportunity to make a fresh new start. And let's see what God can do through us as we make the most of the year for Him and His glory.
