When I was young, I didn’t know much about making friends. I had lots of opportunities. I felt like the new kid on the block quite often. And, that’s probably because I was.
Have you ever had struggles with people?
I went to kindergarten at one school. I went to first and part of second at another. We moved. I finished second and started third grade at another, but then we moved again. I finished third grade at another, but then they rezoned. I went to fourth and fifth grade at yet another school. I decided I wanted to try a private school for sixth grade, and my parents obliged. Ninth was as high as I could go at that school. I finished my high school education in yet another school. That’s seven schools, and I have not spoken of my college education.
With the first move came the knowledge that not all schools are the same, and neither are all kids. My accent was different, and so was my pronunciation of some words. That was only the beginning of the differences I encountered along the way. By the time I reached 10th grade, I really did not care if I fit in at school or not.
However, 10th grade brought more serious troubles, and these had nothing to do with the kids at school. By the time I left for college, I was one very emotionally messed up individual. Unfortunately, I let these 3 years influence the next 7 years of my life. That decade of fear and mistakes I toted around for about 20 years. It colored my perspective of everything.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39
God loved you enough to send Jesus to conquer death by paying for your sins. As hard as it may seem at times, God really does have a plan for your life.
At 45, God healed me from all the pain in my past. I came to understand 3 things clearly. First, most of what I had come to believe about myself and about others was a lie. My view of the world was very skewed. Second, God had protected and provided for me all the way. He had not ever left me. Third, He had worked through my experiences with all those difficult people to equip me to serve. He had known what He was doing from the beginning. I just could not see it. As God healed me, He told me to help others.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to look at your life a bit differently. Can you see how God has protected and provided for you along the way? Know that God has a plan for you, and salvation is a part of that plan. He has been working through the circumstances of your life to bring you closer to Him, make you more Christ-like, and mold you into someone that He can use to reach others. Whatever you have been through, God will use it to help others if you let him. Are you willing?