My world has just been
rocked by a story of hope, grace, love, compassion, and forgiveness.
I have just finished the book “The Shack”. It’s only taken me a
whole year to finally commit to reading it and finishing it. For some
reason I have pushed it off to the side over and over again, wanting
to read it…but never willing to commit to it. This week god laid it
in front of me once again not as an assignment this time, but as a
gift. I had not idea the journey god would take me on this week as I
read it. I have been touched in such an amazing way by a presence of
healing and love! It has made me realize so much how god’s love NEVER
fails us.
God showed me forgiveness
from both sides of the spectrum for the first time today. I saw not
only the forgiver but also the forgiven. I have been both in my life.
I have been the forgiver and forgiven those that have hurt me deeply,
and have learned that I have to release others for healing to occur
for all involved. I know I have done horrible wrongs to so many in
the past, yet…somehow in the humanity of it all there is still
forgiveness, and love…a love that never fails. Even in the most
impossible and unforgivable situations we find ourselves in…when we
act in Love, forgiveness is possible. When we give our hopeless
situations to god we allow him to do the impossible in our lives and
work miracles in us and through us.
I stand where I am today,
not because I deserve it, or I have earned it, but it is because of
grace. I walk daily in the grace and love of god! He sustains me in
all my walk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying im perfect…Im far
from that…but I am a child of god…a god that loves me dearly…a
god that is deeply fond of me. And he wants to do the same thing for
you! He loves us all…all of his children (us). When we can learn to
die to ourselves and learn to walk and live in Love, towards our
friends and family, those we walk with, and yes…even our enemies.
As I learn to live in
community on this trip. With my team of 7 including myself. I am
learning what it is to push each other to strive for excellence each
and every day. And to prefer my teammates over myself, and to cover
it all in love….a Love that never fails
God is good…please pray
for me as god continues to stretch me and grow me everyday. Pray for
revelation on his word and for strength to stay on task as I be used
as a vessel to further his kingdom on this trip…no matter what that
looks like.
To all of you back home…I
love you all very much…and I thank you for our
relationship…whatever that may look like…I thank you for
forgiveness where I have fallen short…I thank you for the blessing
you are in my life…and I thank you for your love! Be blessed to be a
blessing unto others!
until next time…
Love
Ryan
