Yep. It happened. But things aren’t the same. You’re not where you once were. You’re not who you used to be. You’re here. You made it to this moment. You’re changed.
Stepping stones.
Maybe you’re like me. Always wondering about the next season of life- what it holds, who it holds and where it all needs to take place. I know, I tend to get ahead of myself on this one. Maybe you do too. But see I learned something last season. Instead of focusing so much on the future and where we need to be, sometimes we simply need to be reminded of how far we've come... how far Gods brought us...
I’m not writing this to give you something new, but to remind you of how far you’ve come. To encourage you to pause for a moment and reflect on how far God’s brought you and what he’s brought you from.
So, here’s a glimpse of my journey...
As I look back on the past four years of my life I see a lot of lonely nights, heartbreak and mostly confusing. But God’s been teaching me something through it. All the heartbreak, it’s nothing but stepping stones. All those lonely nights, there nothing but stepping stones. All the confusion, it’s nothing but a stepping stone. Yeah, it hasn’t been the easiest, but it’s certainly been the most rewarding. Why? Because it’s given me the opportunity to learn and grow. To figure out the why and the what. The purpose and the plan. I can promise you there's nothing more satisfying then watching God bring purpose full circle in your life. Life’s a journey. There's a rhyme and a reason. Trust it.
If you would’ve told me 4 years ago that I would be where I am today, I would’ve told you that you were crazy. But oh, how faithful God is. You see, midway through my senior year of high school I was about as far from God as someone could be. Yeah, I played the role of being Christian, but it was nothing more than a script that I simply memorized and acted out. My life never once reflected who God was or even who he called me to be. I was putting my trust, hope and love in the misleading pleasures of the world. The parties, the alcohol, the clothes, the accolades, the sports, yeah, they all played a role. Sadly, they caused me to become the man that I told myself for years that I never would be. I found myself down a dark road that I never had any intentions of getting on. College. That’s a different story, yet sadly the same scene. I continued to play the same role. Broken, longing for something more, yet continuing to seek the false satisfactions of the world. But, as all good stories do, things change...
Around midway through my freshman year I had the opportunity to connect with, at the time, a small ministry by the name of Chi Alpha. Oh, if I only knew the journey God was about to take me on. My life would be changed forever. Nearly three years now and I am in complete awe of everything God has done and is continuing to do. From the moment I stepped into my first Chi Alpha service some three years ago, to the moment that I’ll step into my last this coming year, I can certainly, without a doubt, say that I have watched God lead, guide and direct not only my steps, but the steps of so many others. I’ve watched God change lives. I’ve watched God heal. I’ve watched God restore. I’ve watched God discipline. I’ve watched God provide. I’ve watched God give. I’ve watched God take away.
Yet, even though things change and seasons come and go, through it all one thing remains the same, His love for you and me…
So, take it from a 21 year old college guy who loves Jesus- just relax, take a breath, be patient, enjoy the moment, trust the journey and let God write your story....
Stepping stones.
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