My Christmas Gift
There’s many people and things that I’m so grateful for. I would love
to share all of them with you, but this Christmas I’m going to share one special one. My heart
is so full, because of such a special gift I get this year: my brother
Why? Because His life has been redeemed! REVIVED! HE’S
ALIVE, IN CHRIST! My whole LIFE, I’ve been praying for him. Do you have anyone in your life that you have
prayed for, on your knees, battled with and for, to live in the great way
they were created to live?
Well I do. I’ve pleaded and fought for and with him more than anyone in my life. And to
see that on his own, through brokenness and dependency, he’s picked himself up
in the Lord, and now wearing the armor of a man of character, integrity,
passion, humor, laughter, faithfulness, and love…I’m so filled, SO FILLED, with gratefulness
and joy.
In his own words, I asked him if I could blog about him, and
he sent me the long story of his renewed life. Here’s some of what he shares (details I’ll reserve for him to tell in the book he wants to write)…I’ll
give away the ending first:
“I have never fought for a great ending like I have fought for the end
of this year. The odds were stacked against me but I made it dude. I pulled
through to squash the devil, rise above and conquer. And that my brother makes
a life in Christ worth living.”
When
writing about his beginning, and the things that happened to him and his
choices, he says:
“Man that really messed me up inside…
That was a huge pain that I carried with me for years and years and years
and it was something that I really believed.
It was a deep pain that I carried for a long time. But buddy, let me
tell you something, when God’s people hold onto bitterness and un-forgiveness
it can devastate their lives without even knowing it.
I forgave Mr. #$?, I forgave #$?, and I met my fears head on.
I didn’t know how to deal or cope with all that.
But when I got down on my knees and cried out to God he heard my
prayers bro.
I walked away from God dude. I gave up on him and all his promises. It’s
been a hard fight back dude…but the whole time that I was lost, God never let
me go. The number one person that I had to forgive was myself.
Its not until we are alone, at our wits end on rock bottom that we have
to face everything that got us to that point. That’s what I had to do. But let
me tell you something, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. The bible says in
psalms “I cried out to you lord, and you heard my cries for mercy and
answered my prayers.” That’s what God did buddy, he answered my prayers.
My life has changed so much in the last six months all because I have never
stopped crying out to him. He has met my needs in every way possible. Its not
easy trusting on God, but the result is a lot better than relying on the world.
This is the best ending to any year of my life that I have ever had
I have read many books on what it means to be a Godly man and
a man after the heart of God and an awesome future husband and father. My
perspective on life has changed and Gods will is all that I want and strive to
attain. Even though I knew Christ before, I was so lost. But his word does say
that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Not a day goes by now where I don’t
praise him for what he has done for me. Five years ago I saw no purpose in
trying to live for someone I could not see. But we serve an Omnipresent, mighty
and powerful savoir. God is my father now. He is my papa and he is my rock. He
is with me wherever I go and when I need him to pick me up and carry me, he
takes me in his arms of love and guides me through all my tough situations.
“I have never fought for a great ending like I have fought for the end
of this year. The odds were stacked against me but I made it dude. I pulled
through to squash the devil, rise above and conquer. And that my brother makes
a life in Christ worth living.”
WAHOOOOOO!!!
THAT is my Christmas gift. PRAISE GOD!
Don’t give up hope, on your person(s).
