Personal Reflection

Each of one of us have those days in which God allows us to have the opportunity to reflect on our lives. I have been blessed to reach another milestone in my life (it is referred to as a birthday). As I was driving home last night after a service in Radcliff, KY God began to stir my memories concerning my life. One week ago today my wife and I celebrated our 38th Wedding Anniversary. As we drove we began to reflect on the direction that God has brought to our lives over the past 38 years of marriage. As we stood at that wedding altar in 1972 in Huntsville, AL we would never have imagined that our lives would have taken us down the roads of life that we have traveled. But we had two things in our favor at that point of decision; we knew that we possessed a strong love for God and a desire to please Him and we also possessed a love and commitment to each other. I will confess that both of these "loves" have matured and developed over the years that we have been together. Although I believed that I loved God and that I loved my wife; I have been able to see that love strengthened as we have faced the challenges of life together. God is reminding me of that today as I sit and write this blog. The challenges of life were not meant to make me feel weak and inferior but they made me feel strong as I learned to trust in the Lord every day and not just trust Him on the good days of life. Today someone needs to remember that principle as you face those difficult moments of your life. Over the past few days I have received birthday wishes from family and friends. I have been reminded that I am a "rich man." Oh, I am not rich in the way that the culture would define rich but I am rich through the relationships that I have developed with my family and with those dear friends who have influenced me in an important manner. I am reminded how blessed that I am every time that I drive away from my home (you notice I did not say house) toward my next destination. Each of us need to realize that as long as we are living God has other destinations for us. God has daily plans and daily purposes for you and me to fulfill. We get so captured and enamored by the larger picture of life that we fail to notice those daily opportunities to interact with God and to interact with those people that God places in our lives on that day. I remember an old song that we sang when I was part of a trio (my sons will laugh when they read this) many years ago. We made this declaration; "Well, I wouldn't take nothing for my journey now, I have got make it to heaven some how..." I want to publicly thank God for my journey and let Him know that I recognize that I am a blessed man. I thank my family for their love, support, and encouragement through the years of our ministry involvement. I thank my parents for teaching me the principles of God and modeling those principles before me. I realize that I would not have been able to make the journey if I had not had people in my life who have served as my cheerleaders when things were going rough. I want to thank my wife who has served as the "chief cheerleader" and has always encouraged me to follow the plan and call of God that I sensed. I want to say THANK YOU to each of them and let them know that they are loved and appreciated today. Take a moment today and reflect on your journey and remember the goodness of God that has been revealed in your life. Let us take a moment and appreciate all of those people who have assisted us on the journey that we call life.