WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT NINE

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN – INSTALLMENT NINE

        I look back at my college years when I had to be my own boss and in control of my life,  at least I thought so at the time because I hadn’t accepted Jesus as my own.  God was still in control even though I thought I was.   The hard part of thinking I was in control was that I was a young girl, only 17 when I went to the University. I had lived a very sheltered life.  The temptations were huge and difficult to maneuver.  I cherish that God has been giving me his grace, mercy and kindness through the years, even when I wasn’t receptive or know that He was there.  He was there all the time.  It wasn’t until 1979 when I went on a church retreat  to the mountains with some ladies in Hughson that I realized that these ladies had something that I didn’t have and I knew I wanted what they had.  That ingredient in their lives that was missing in mine was Jesus Christ.  Sure, I knew about Him.  I knew and believed that He died on the cross to save me.  I had even been baptized as a child, but I was missing one important part of the equation.  That was asking forgiveness of my sins, turning away from those sins (repenting) and asking Jesus to be Lord of my life so that we could have a personal relationship.  A real relationship – up close and so very personal.  At the time, April of 1979,  I did ask Jesus to become my personal Savior and help me to live my life for Him.    After many times of really following him for a time, then putting him on the back burner, getting enthused again and trying so hard to follow, I have finally reached a time in my life of peace and comfort with Him.  It was there all along for me to reach out and take.  I just kept letting “me” get in the way.   I am now in the best time of life.  I’m 66 and who knows when the end of my life will be.  My husband and I are facing some difficult times ahead because of health issues, but I know we’ll lean on the Lord and he’ll bring us through the other side.  Could I have learned all the lessons I did if God had not directed me to train and take part of the bike ride?  I believe the answer is “yes”.  God would have used another way to get my attention.