#67 Your Saving Grace

I'm sure I've mentioned that I came to Christ in my late twenties. And I may have told you that before that I was far, far, far... I mean really far from believing in God. 

I was one of those people that thought Christians were crazy for putting all of their faith into something so unsubstantial. I couldn't fathom why anyone would give credit to this "thought"  for what their hard work had produced. 

I was among those "headed for destruction" as 1 Corinthians 1:18-19 explains and the bible was indeed foolishness to me.

BUT, despite me... God had another plan.

At a very early age I began "looking for love in all the wrong places" -- as the old song goes. And after a jagged path of broken hearts I surely felt broken... unwanted and completely unworthy of love. 

At this time I decided there must be something bigger... and it had to be spiritual, but... don't get excited... not the kind of "spiritual" you're thinking. I began to discover my spiritual self in books like the Celestine Prophecy. I studied a little astrology and identified with my sign and colors and whatever else looked good to me.

When I look back on it all I now see that God used that ache within me to be loved to draw me into Him. First He brought me earthly love in my husband, which still did not fulfill my need, in fact it made it worse because all my expectations about true love were thrashed inside the first year of marriage. Which put me right where He wanted me... right where He could reach me.

I wasn't looking for Him... it was Him that found me. And I will never be the same. There is nothing about my life that hasn't changed and there is still so very much to do... and I'm so grateful for that Grace that finds me still.

Here in Florida I haven't found K-LOVE, but there is another station that I've enjoyed... sermons by Charles Stanley (awesome) songs I'd never heard before... like this one by Rush of Fools that put me smack in the middle of the memory of  His saving Grace in my life...

Have you heard it?

Taking it a little deeper I'm meditating on Colossians 1:13-14 and I've personalized it for myself... feel free to do the same for your heart...

"For He has rescued me from the kingdom of darkness 

and transferred me into the Kingdom of His dear Son, 

who purchased my freedom and forgave my sins."

Rejoicing today over His Amazing Grace!

Continuing the count with A Holy Experience...

68.) catching catfish in the back yard
69.) frying up that catfish and eating it for dinner
70.) Bryers waffle cone ice cream
71.) partly sunny with a chance of rain
72.) the "check tire" warning signal on the rental van
73.) Jason's Deli
74.) baby sting rays swimming in the shore at high tide
75.) how they make friends so easily
76.) when mr. man says "I'm sorry" from his heart to little miss -- without a word from me
77.) tanned skin
78.) cute little white bottoms from tanned skin
79.) living simply
80.) days without makeup
81.) humidity and what it does for my hair
82.) husbands devotion to me
83.) husbands love for the Lord
84.) husbands endurance, strength and perseverance -- it's all YOU
85.) sunset peaking through the palm trees
86.) glassy waters
87.) the Food Network TV
88.) the way You reveal yourself to me
89.) unearthing issues that need your attention
90.) playing "I love you more than ______" with little miss
91.) the way big sister pretends she doesn't feel well in order to sleep with me when daddy's out of town