New life – Mrs. Goodfinder

Today much of the world celebrates Jesus showing death that it does not have the power it thinks it does over us.

Is there death in some area of your life? Mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, relationally with others? Jesus wants to, he has the power to come into that very area of your life that’s causing all the pain and heartache and overpower it…heal it!

We don’t have to climb 150 stairsteps, give away all our money, move or change our wardrobe. All he wants is for us to come back to him.

These can be hard words to read, we have been conditioned to see God as a hateful, wrathful, angry, mean judge doling out punishment for our wrongs. That is not the voice of God. Jesus didn’t come to condemn or destroy, He was sent to free and restore…to give life…now in our current lives on earth.

Other’s words have spoken to us confusion, mistrust and cynicism. God’s words are helpfulness, peace, wisdom, truth, belonging, and care…true love.

Today, think about how you would like to be loved, how you would like to care for others and know that is God’s heart to you.

Today, give him the benefit of the doubt. Test him and see what good he will bring into your life.

It can be all new for you today.

God is good!

Yesterday at work, probably against proper political protocol, I wished people a Happy Easter weekend.

It surprised me how many did not respond back. Maybe they are like I was…not knowing God loved them or uncertain if there even was a God.

Up until college, I didn’t really know there was a God. I was a quiet, shy person, introverted, didn’t like it, but didn’t know how to change. I was also afraid of dying…not knowing what would come next. My mother had had numerous cancer operations, all benign, but…it scared me that I would be next. And so, all my teen years, I lived in fear of cancer and death, unable to plan for a future, since I didn’t think there would be one for me.

At 19, in college, I had to find out about this ‘God-thing’. I had a dusty Bible on my book shelf, pulled it down, blew off the dust and opened to somewhere in the New Testament…John or Romans and read a verse saying Jesus was praying for me. I thought, ‘Why would He pray for me?’

In an instant – at that thought, I saw things in my life I was not proud of – while simultaneously feeling that Jesus loved me. All of a sudden I realized I wasn’t afraid of cancer or dying any more. If I died I’d go be safe with Jesus. I felt light and free after all those years living in fear.

Decades have passed, yet I am free, I know God loves me even if no one else does. There are struggles in life, but no one can tell me God doesn’t exist, or that He isn’t helping and guiding me every day… listening when I talk to Him.

That is a portion of my ‘yesterday’. Now I live a new ‘today’ every day…each morning a fresh clean start.

I’m so glad I left ‘yesterday’ and moved into a brand new today!

God gives hope.