Mercy.
It's a code name I gave someone during one of the darkest times of my life.
Yet it is also the word that resonates with the rescue from that same time. I had come from a place where I walked with God, yet I viewed Him as a God who I could control. A God smaller than the Great I AM. A vending machine God.
Even now typing those words is difficult. To admit how far away from truth I had slipped because of the influence of "friends."
Yet God, in His abundant mercy, disciplined me. He showed me HIS great power in ways that I could not deny. He brought conviction and heart ache. The people I had called friends were taken away.
So how is this mercy? It is mercy because God showed me who He was...and through doing so who I am. He created something beautiful from the mess that I had made. He showed me mercy. God gave me Himself, a gift I do not deserve. By revealing Himself to me, God also gave me a new chance at life. An abundant life.
That is mercy.
I am embarking on a new adventure on this blog with something called "Five Minute Fridays" which you can learn more about here: http://lisajobaker.com/five-minute-friday/ Feel free to join me!! :)
Welcome, Nicole! I love the view hindsight affords of the situations where God takes away to make us better. Hard in the taking, but so worth it in the end. Thank you for sharing! I'm your neighbor...coming in a bit late this week. :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole! Glad you've joined up with Five Minute Friday. There's power in admitting truth and I love how you shared your former view of God..."yet I viewed Him as a God who I could control. A God smaller than the Great I AM. A vending machine God." So many of us have been there. Thank God for his Mercy!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're linking up with FMF! I appreciate your raw honesty and reflection. How pleased God is when we acknowledge his work in our life and the gifts of his hand. Blessings to you on the journey.
ReplyDeleteOh Nicole, how often we all don't see what He has for us until much later. His tender mercies are amazing to me. I have lost everything to find Him and it was always worth it. Thank you for sharing today.
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