Where I Tread

Lately, we have been studying the Holy Spirit on Wednesday nights at church. The pastor always asks us to give examples of how the Holy Spirit has been working in our lives. Well, it goes a little something like this. He has given me blessings upon blessings. He has acted as a spirit of healing. My French professor recently had open heart surgery and we put him on the prayer list at my church and he was there this Sunday for the first time, looking as well as I have ever seen him. I could not hide my sheer joy and excitement, yet found no need to. Aside from that, the Holy Spirit has acted as my spirit of protection. I recently had oral surgery to have an abcessed tooth extracted and a bone graft put in since I had bone loss, given that the problem had gone on for about ten months. I was completely unaware of it because I had no pain associated with it but it turns out that it was a major problem. In the middle of papers and final exams is when this problem decided to reach its peak, yet I didn't miss a single deadline and made A's on all my finals. However, I left school headed for home late one Sunday night because I was to have my stitches out the next morning. The drive is two and a half hours long. It began to rain just as I got in the car. To make a long story, shorter, I ended up hydroplaning, fish tailing, and then spinning around all over the road and into the median. I was not hurt in the least nor did I lose my composure. I simply drove back on the road. I realized that I had a flat tire so I made it to a nearby rest stop. I got out in the rain and changed my tire. I was exhausted and soaked from head to foot by the time it was over, but I managed it and with no help from anyone but God. I drove 50 mph all the way home on my doughnut. It took me four hours to get home from the time I left and I made it by 3:30 am.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit because it couldn't have been a worse event from which nothing bad came of it. First off, if it hadn't been so late at night, there would have been other cars all around for me to hit as I spun. Also, there was nothing out there for me to hit--no guardrails, no signs, no drainage ditches, nothing. It was just grass. Also, I knew how to change a tire since I had done it before when I had two flat tires simultaneously about six months prior. At that time, I had my good friend there to help me figure it all out and get me back home again. Funny how that seemingly awful event ended up being a great blessing to me. This is a great example of the reason why we should thank God at all times and for all things in all situations. "All things work for the good of those who love Him." If it hadn't been for that, I would have entirely flipped out . Not only that, but there was the rest stop which was a great place to change my tire. Furthermore, I had a change of clothes in my car and a place to change out of my soaking wet clothes. I firmly believe that nothing happens to us of any great significance without it being the will of God. We are constantly and consistently under his protection. In other words, I don't think God "accidentally" lets us die or become paralyzed or any such thing. I think all things of significance, all life altering events, are a part of His plan for our lives.
Another way the Holy Spirit was working was as a spirit of prayer. My mom sensed my impending danger associated with being on the road and had been apprehensive for the two weeks prior to my accident about me driving. The Holy Spirit put it on her heart to pray for me, especially whenever I was going to be on the road. As a result of her prayers, I am sure that all of the little things that came together to help me through the experience were a result of her prayers. It has been a crazy few weeks, but all I can think to be is thankful and all I can feel is happy and blessed to be alive. I know that there is no place on this earth where I tread that my Heavenly Father does not go with me. He lives in me through his Holy Spirit, just as He lives in all of His children.

Loser

So I knew I was a sinner, but I think I am realizing I am even a worst sinner than I orginally believed or imagined. "There are none that do good; no not one." "All fall short of the glory." I sure am glad that we are saved by grace because there is no way in hell I would get to heaven any other way. I know I sin and that I am a total flunky and screw up. I just hope that God can say to me some day, "you know my favorite thing about you, kiddo? I love the way that you loved life; you loved it when it was good and you loved it when it was bad. You lived each moment and always looked for the beautiful, and you sought me through it all. You never gave up and you always put your heart and soul into all that you did. You never let the bad things of this world tarnish your spririt or make you bitter. You loved yourself and you loved those around you. Most importantly, you loved me and you accepted my great love and sacrifice for you, knowing all the while that you didn't deserve it." I want God to be able to say that to me. "Kid, you are a total loser, but you are my loser, so you have just won paradise for all of eternity." The bottomline is: you are a loser. We all are! But you can win even though you lose. Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to let go of your pride and your fear and any belief that you may have that you are in control of your life. You can't control your life! All is beyond your control. Either God controls your life or the Devil will control your life. Whose loser do you want to be?