Something God's been showing me

These past two weeks have probably been the toughest two weeks I've had to face in my life, due to the fact that I moved to another state by myself, with no friends and no support here (that is not to say that I have no friends or support at all; I have amazing friends and family back home and I am grateful to lean on them when things get too unbearable and lonely on my end of things). But while they've been hard, these past two weeks have provided an opportunity for me to evaluate where my life is going to go, what shape it will take, and how I view it. 

So where is my life going? While I'm not sure where I'm going to be in 5 years, I do know that the only way to make those 5 years (and the rest that follow) meaningful is to live every day like it's my last. And I know how hard that statement really is to actually live out, because I've tried. Somehow, life in and of itself can be pretty boring. So I'm really going to have to make an effort to give this living thing a good run. Fortunately, I have a mentor Whose track record is impeccable - you might even say perfect. I've discovered over the past two years that God is the one thing (or Being) who makes life worthwhile. It's mentioned in Psalm 139:13-16 that God formed our inward parts, that He skillfully wrought our frames, and that while our substances were yet unformed, He saw them. He tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promises a life after life where life never ends and even the memory of pain and sin is erased. Consequently, my life is dedicated to giving my days to the God who created them. My life is traveling the path that God laid out for it before I was born. 

What shape will this life take? Only God can know that. For now, I'm content with the shape it's been given (kind of squiggly, with no real rhyme or reason). We are the clay to God's hands, and I am determined to make my life (if I can take my pride and stubborn will out of the mix) pliable for Him and His plan.

How am I going to view it? Thank God I'm not as cynical and sarcastic as I used to be, because if I were, no one would enjoy reading this blog. Before I gave my life over to Christ I had a quick temper and a sarcastic mind. I was mad all the time and complained almost constantly. I always had something to be mad about and usually, everyone knew the subject of my anger. But now, my view on life is tempered by God's eternal perspective and colored by one of my favorite passages, Colossians 3:14: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection". My outlook on life is now significantly better, thanks to all of the work God has put into making my heart useful to Him, and I'm doing my best to live up to the passage in James where it says to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1:2-3). My worldview has been blessed with a God filter, and I will rejoice and maybe make a fool out of myself by dancing and singing His praise.

One last thought: I want to share with you the verse that brought me back to my Maker, Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things". God bless :)