A Time of Reflection

As I close in on my 40th birthday I have become extremely introspective and reflective. A month ago I passed my 6th anniversary of the most glorious day in my life-the day of my salvation, the day I came to call upon Jesus as the only one to save me. In the last 6 years I have had extreme highs and plummeting lows. I have known the joy of having a son being an integral part of my life and the pain of having a spouse ripped from my grasp. Each week my joy abounds when my son gets to come home with me and each week I drown in despair as he is taken away from me. I have experienced times of health and lately, times of sickness. I have been filled with joy and hope and other times sadness and pain overwhelm me. I have struggled financially but God has always come through and provided exactly what I needed when I needed it. I have had successes and failures. I have stuck to my convictions and other times I have strayed far from what I have believed. It has been a roller-coaster ride of ups and downs.

The thing that has seen me through all of these highs and lows has been my relationship with Jesus and the amazing brothers and sisters in the faith that He has surrounded me with. I can’t tell you how humbling it is to know that there are men and women out there praying for me on a daily basis. My name comes before the Throne of God every day as my friends intercede on my behalf. When my world was falling down around me I turned to these friends for advice and support. I turned to my friend Jon on an almost daily basis as a source of strength and encouragement. I turned to my friend Dan and his Band of Brothers as a refuge and as a source of inspiration. I turned to my best friend Rob for advice and counsel. I turned to the men and women in my community group for all of the above. Laura, Mike, Paul, and Jen have all blessed me with their love, support, encouragement, and prayer. Without these men and women talking to me, listening to me, praying for me, and just being there for me I would not have gotten through years 38 and 39 of my existence.

Now as I close in on 40 I am filled with peace and joy. I am filled with hope. My hope comes from my relationship with Jesus Christ and the things He has promised me in His Word. My peace and joy come from being surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses that He has provided to help see me through the good and the bad. What a wonderful time to be alive!!

To all those mentioned and the many I may have forgotten......THANK YOU and God bless you!!