I think I'll just break it down to a bullet or two at time..
on being fifty - I realized after last weeks comments that chronological age has very little to do with our faith walk. The circumstances of our life may be seasonal but our dependency, (or lack there of) on God alone, cannot be measured by the number of years we walk on this earth. We can choose to live out each day acknowledging God's goodness, presence and desire to lead us or we can choose to go it alone.
Looking back over the last few decades, I can tell by my choices and the resulting consequences, when I let God lead and when I thought I could handle it,
in my way,
on my terms,
in my own time.
Thankfully, God was there every time I crashed and burned, to pick up the pieces and set me on the right path.
I know women who can honestly say that they wouldn't change anything about the past because it has made them into the woman of god that they've become and to a certain extent, I agree. I know I am more forgiving and compassionate and far less judgemental because of my life experiences and I suppose that makes me more real and approachable but I can't say that I wouldn't love the opportunity to make different choices, to not have done so many things the hard way. To desire to please God first and not be willing to sacrifice my relationship with Him to please man, would certainly be my hearts desire.
While I can't go back, I do have a God who loves me because it is who he is, just as you physically are a woman by your very nature, God is love by His and he promises to remember my sins no more, to blot them out and make me white as snow.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever more. Why wouldn't my desire be to please Him at any age?
I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Faithfully His, Patty
Wow, I had just had a bible study one Wednesday and it was about dedicating your life to Jehovah God. and I had read about repenting and God blotting out your sins. building a relationship with God comes with knowledge and time spent studying praying and applying you began to find faith and love of him. This is what draws us close to him and moves us to dedicate ourselves to him and his son Jesus. nice post...thank you for sharing it...hugs Janice.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have come to realize as I have gotten older, even those of us who have a lifelong relationship with God don't have it all together. We never achieve a perfect relationship until we meet Him do we? I still struggle with not being the person I should be, with faith, and even with faithfully reading my bible and spending time with God.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing to read this post, I'mm 44 now & have never felt so utterly weak in myself, Praise God its the best place i've ever been in my life, in my weakness his strength is made perfect, where else would i want to be, thank you for posting this, am blessed to read about the faith Christ has put in your heart
ReplyDeleteLots of love Karen x
Well I am 50 and I can say my faith walk has more to do with the seasons of my life than the years. I see that He continues to stretch me and bring me closer to Him..He increases my faith, I can't on my own.
ReplyDeleteI see that the trials and bumps in life, whatever age, have been the tools He has used to increase my faith.
I also know that He isn't finished with me yet...He is still at work in me until He has completed all He wants me to be...and my faith walk isn't done yet
Great post...thanks
He has always been there for me, even if I did not realize it at the time and felt abandoned. Actually, it was I who abandoned Him. It took to middle age for me to figure most of it out. Far from perfect, and still goofin' things up now and then, my walk will never be over til I meet Him in the afterlife. But I have had miracles occur in my life that could have only been God - so my faith has become unshakeable.
ReplyDeleteFaith Walk Friday is an awesome idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you are posting about your faith on your blog. Thankfully God's grace is renewed every morning, so when I've tried to go it alone, He's always there with open arms to pick up the pieces.
See you next week,
Barb at ReDesign Interiors
We can choose to live out each day acknowledging God's goodness, presence and desire to lead us or we can choose to go it alone. ....
ReplyDeleteI'm choosing the first! "The good work that God has started in us, He WILL complete..."..His Word tells us that, which also means since He is not a liar, He is working in us and through our circumstances.
That gives me hope, that gives me peace, that gives me comfort and strength.
I keep reminding myself of all those 'teachable moments'..the times I've turned away and chose my way, the times I've faltered, the times I made choices that were not in His will...that God WILL work all things out for His good.
I keep praying.."Lord let me pass this test. I don't want an 'F', I want to pass.'
I find the older I get in my faith walk, the more gentle I am with myself...and others. The condemnation, the comparing, the judging, the regrets, the boo hoo me, the looking back on all those 'should have's, could have's, and why did I?"...do not control my every day's anymore like they used too....
I am definitely not the same person in my spiritual walk as I was three years ago. I also know I will be transformed, renewed and restored in three years down the road.
More of Him, less of me. Christ increasing, me decreasing with my wants, my will, my whatever's I think should happen'...God IS good all the time. All the time God is good. And this keeps me walking...
Blessings.
Faith Walk Friday will be a regular stop for me. I will look forward to the inspiration here from you and your followers. I am 65 and throughout the roller coaster life we lead, I have learned that only my faith has gotten me where I am today. I still stuggle with trying to be in control, but can truthfully say that when I pray and listen, I am alway blessed by HIM.
ReplyDeleteI've made many unwise choices in my lifetime, some I wish I could reverse, but we learn from our mistakes (at least if we are wise) and even though I've made the same mistake more than once (ouch!), I'm glad to have a God who forgives and never gives up on me. He is faithful!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I am accepting myself so much more now that I am older.
ReplyDeleteAccepting oneself, having more compassion towards others, I am more in love with The Lord now than I was when I was younger.
My faith walk continues to grow, to expand. Getting older is something I have embraced - at 46yrs old, I feel so blessed.
Blessings,
m.b.
I read Phillip Keller's book on "A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23", and in there he relates what he learned from tending sheep in his life, and that God sees us as His precious sheep. That brings me great comfort because it helps me realize how deeply He understands me. At this age of my late 50s, I am learning to look back at all the joys, failures, mistakes, and blessings and know they were all custom designed for me. And, that I am harder on me than He is. It is not my understanding, but His leading that is most important for me on my life's journey.
ReplyDeleteYou shared this post beautifully and I am thankful I visited here.
Patty, I am one of those who believes age has little to do with our faith walk. I believe we can grow with age but we can also harden with age.
ReplyDeleteLooking back and looking forward can lead to great trouble....it is hard not to do but I think God knows we are out of His grace when we do so. This is my personal belief.
God understands we are all too human.....He knows....He loves. I take great comfort in that.
Blessings,
Barb