I’ve thought about my first post here, and this seems like a condensed version of my life seems like as good a way as any. Maybe it will help those reading this to understand why I believe what I do. And that I’ve had a whole lot of reasons, through the years, to stop believing what I do – but I haven’t.
So … where to start?
I was molested at six years old by someone my family trusted. Hindsight being what it is, I realize that the reason I made so many 'unwise' choices as a teen and young adult likely stemmed from that experience. Then there were couple of miscarriages, a stillborn preemie daughter, and a preemie son that lived less than a day. Of the three children who did survive my difficulty with pregnancies, my son - another preemie - was diagnosed at six years old with autism. Another died from complications following surgery in 2010.
Add to all of this, physically and emotionally abusive relationships, and several near-death experiences - including almost drowning as a child, an auto accident in 2008 that should have (according to one doctor) put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, and two cancer diagnoses in two weeks just before the Covid pandemic started in 2020, resulting in three surgeries in four months.
Sounds like great material for a soap opera, doesn't it? But nope. That's my life - thus far - in a nutshell.
Maybe your life has been more difficult than mine, and if has, I am so very sorry! But I can tell you there is hope after - and even during - the ugly times in life.
When I tell you that it's because of God, I know what the main response will be. If there is a God, why didn't He stop all of those things from happening?
That’s easy - because God is not a genie in a bottle. He doesn't grant wishes. He isn't 'sitting on a cloud in heaven' waiting to make my life paradise on earth. Humans did have paradise once, but because God gave Adam and Eve free will, they blew it for everyone.
Not fair? Part of me agrees with you. But what I think doesn’t matter because this isn’t my party. I didn't make the rules. I do believe what the bible says though. And I've been feeling like I need to do this for a while. That I need to do this blog for those who struggle with empty places like I used to.
Honestly? Sometimes, I still do. But if King David (who wrote about half of the Psalms) could feel alone and abandoned by God, I guess sometimes can too. I'm just glad it doesn't happen often. Or at least not as often as it used to.
Three more things I want to tackle here before calling it a day....
First, I believe in God. I believe Jesus is His only Son, sent to earth to die for our sins. I also believe He rose on the third day, and now sits at the right hand of God. I also believe that someday, we're going to stand before them to be judged, and that there are only two outcomes. Heaven or hell.
A lot of people joke about partying with friends, should they wind up in hell. If they’d read what the bible says about it, they’d know it’s going to be zero fun.
The second thing is this. Some people who find themselves on this blog are going to ask me to prove there's a God. I can't do that, any more than I can show you oxygen we're breathing, or a breeze as it blows across my face.
It's like that with God. I can feel His presence and I know He's with me. I know He's rescued me. He's healed me. He's sent people to bless me when He's the only one who knew I was in need of help.
So, I turn the question back on those who would ask for proof. What proof can you offer that God doesn't exist? One of us is wrong.
Someone once told me something along these lines. It's not an exact quote, but close enough for horseshoes:
1. You can accept Jesus as your Savior, live your life as a Christian, find out you made a good decision, and you get to spend eternity in heaven.
2. You can accept Jesus as your Savior, live your life as a Christian, find out you were wrong, and you're just dead. The years weren't wasted though because, while you didn’t lead a perfect life, you led a good one.
3. You can decide it's all just a fairy tale, live life the way you want to live it, and when you die, you find there's no eternity in heaven or hell. You're just dead.
4. You can decide it's all just a fairy tale, live life the way you want to live it, and when you die, find out you were wrong.
It would be really convenient if eternal death was all anyone had to fear. But life isn't always convenient, so why should we expect that death will be? I wouldn’t want to bet eternity on that, so I know which destination I'm choosing.
And finally, like I've already said, this isn't my party. I didn't make the rules. I just believe them. I won't judge you for what you believe, and I hope you’ll offer me the same courtesy.
So, I guess I’m going to call this a wrap on my first blog post here. We’ll see what the topic for the next one will be. Right now, I’m going to aim for once or twice a month. It just depends on what I feel God wants me to say.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed week!