Rear view mirror

I was speeding way too fast on the highway of life, looking only 2 feet in front of me, and more often looking in my rear view mirror to see if my past is still chasing me. It was a cold, foggy morning... when suddenly, a river of rays of sun shone right in front of me. Suddenly, it’s warm and fuzzy, and cozy and I can't stop a smile. That was the moment I realized the rear view mirror is stopping me from seeing the great things that are ahead of me.

This happened to me way too many mornings while driving to work. I get so caught up to look in the rear view mirror, that sometimes I don't even realize what gorgeous views I miss.

You know what? We do that in our everyday lives, too. We don't see the happiness of our kids because we're too worried about job related issues. We can’t see the happiness of a great relationship because we keep looking back scared of our past. We can't reach for hope when looking in rear view mirror.

God had taught me this year through my morning drives more than I could've imagined.


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God speaks my language

       "But here is how God has shown his love for us. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

                                                                                                                                                       (Romans 5:8)

          These last two days I thought a lot of my purple sweater. Not about the endless possibilities how to style it, but the lessons I've learned through it.

          On Monday, while working on my sweater, a thought started to create in my head. A thought about the similarities of this sweater and my life. I was poor, sank in my sins and miseries without any hope of escaping, and "while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me". I often sold myself so cheap, but God, took me in His love and invested in me. Even though there was no potential in me. Yes, there were times of poking and cutting, and sewing, tears, discourage, questions, but in the end, He will transform me in more than just a pretty sweater, I will be His masterpiece. Can you imagine? From nothing to a masterpiece? I've learned to stop complaining if it hurts, or if there is no answer, I've learned to just wait for Him to do His work in me. I've also learned the importance of not only reading the Bible, but learning verses, chapters, even books ( if you can). As soon as the thought about the similarity between my purple sweater and I, it reminded me there is a verse in the Bible that talks about how God showed His love for us that while we still didn't know Him, Christ died for us. I looked in the Bible, and there it was: Romans 5:8. Now I'll never forget this verse ever again.
       
          I am so thankful that God choses to talk to us in our language. He is so mighty that created everything and He keeps us together, yet in the same time He knows us so intimate, that He knows how to get us closer to Him.

This is on repeat today:

hugs and smiles from Jesus

John 17


           I love this chapter in the Bible when Jesus prays for His disciples. It's so encouraging to know how much Jesus loved those people who were so close to Him. It's so refreshing to analyze His prayer and find out that, before his arrest, trial and crucifixion, you were so important that He actually took the time and pray for you (and me). No, your name is not in the Bible, but you just have to read John 17:20 "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one." Yes, my dear readers, we are "the ones who will believe". This verse was the nicest smile on my face in last days. He actually, prayed for me! As a girl born and raised in a Christian family, I've heard about how God knew me before I was even in the womb, and how God knows every hair on my head, and how He takes care of each one of us. And you hear it over and over again, till you get so used with it, and you say "Yes" to this, "I believe" to that, but I don't know how much of it we realize it. God put a big smile on my face when I heard Jesus prayed for me with thousands years before I was born. How precious is that?
           Another very special thing that popped up in this chapter, was verse 14 and 15. When we are like Jesus, the world will hate us.... for not being like them. So, trials and troubles won't leave us alone, but listen to this: "I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one"(verse 15).  That one there is the biggest hug I've got. God wraps His arms around me to protect me when I'm happy, and when I'm troubled. When I smile and when I cry. When I feel hopeless, and when my tears took the words' place. When I sleep, when I drive or drink my coffee, when I work, or when I relax. He lets me here for a while, but His eyes are on me. Like a parent with his child... he lets his kid go play at the playground, but he's always watching the child. 
          One more thing. If you look carefully throughout the whole chapter, and make a small chart of his prayer, you realize 18% of His prayer, Jesus prayed for himself, 41% He prayed for saved people and the other 41% He prayed for the unsaved ones. I compared how my prayers usually look like and I was ashamed. Honestly, how much do we pray for us and how much do we pray for others?  One frequent question in my head (now, since I realized that) is: how does my prayer look like? 




* Not all of the ideas are mine. Recently at church Pastor Phil Loria had preached from this chapter and it was too good to just keep the thoughts just for me. Some of the ideas were taken from that sermon.