So this all sounded pretty good in my head but it is usually the case that I'm a lot more eloquent in my mind than I sometimes sound on paper (or computer). We'll see how this goes though :D.
Earlier today, I was just generally feeling sorry for myself. I think cloudy, rainy days tend to make you do that more and feel more down and today is definitely one of those days. I have a lot to look forward to but for some reason, my mood was just kinda BLEH. So I was driving home from school, and I saw two men on the side of the street. One appeared to be homeless (I'm not judging him on his appearance..ok well I am..who knows if we was or not. But even if he wasn't, there definitely are others out there that are) and another was cleaning garbage up off the side of the road (possibly for community service - sometimes people are made to do this while in jail, sometimes for other reasons). Anyway, then around that same time Building 429's version of "Grace that is Greater" came on my stereo and it just got me thinking. What makes me so special? I, at one time or another, have taken everything that I have, material and otherwise, for granted. Just the fact that I'm not thanking God at every second makes it true that I'm taking it for granted. (Though that would be a little impractical, right? :D) But it got me thinking about some of the various sayings about grace and some of the verses from the Bible..for there are many. One of my favorites is John 1:16 saying "From the fullness of his GRACE we have received one blessing after another". But for the grace of God, that could be ME who is living on the streets. That could be ME who ended up in jail. It could be ME who had no hopes of ever going to college or is an unwed mother. My life could have taken so many other paths. Sometimes I get caught up in life and tend to think that for some reason I deserved to have anything that I currently own. But that couldn't be further from the truth. I could spend all day listing everything that I should be thankful for and probably still wouldn't cover everything. So why is it so hard to be thankful sometimes? Plain and simply, we let the devil get the best of us. We're fallible. God didn't owe us a single thing yet he loved us enough (for who knows WHAT reason?! - heaven knows we are all fairly unlovable from time to time) to give us his EVERYTHING. He gave his own life, his own breath, his own flesh and blood for us in hopes that we would simply just have a relationship with him and spread his name to the masses. It's harder than it sounds but it's the least we can do. I guess just thinking about all the much worse roads that my life could have taken makes me SO thankful for the path that it has taken. I have shelter, food whenever I'm hungry, nice clothes, my health..and that's just some of the "necessities". I also have good Christian friends, a loving family, the possibility to have a college education and make something better of myself, this laptop I'm typing this on, etc. etc. etc. (See I can't even start typing this list because it would be neverending!) I know we all feel this way at one time or another so I just wanted to get my thoughts out and encourage those who feel the way I do sometimes that we have a Savior, a father, and a protector in Heaven who will do ANYTHING for us if we just do a few simple things for Him and his glory. That should be enough to give even the most hopeless person hope for a better tomorrow.
We felt bad for them!! But we at least got to see the guys several times, which made us very happy. All in all, great first revolving experience and we're looking forward to revolving again really soon!!
