GRACE
and
PEACE
be with you.

I have witnessed some interesting things in the past couple of days that has set me down a course of deep thought. As some of you know, I am often found quoting Rob Bell, a favorite speaker of mine, and using/expounding upon quotes that I hear from him and others.(Grace&Peace is one, which I will get to in another post)
At this point in time, I am reminded of a certain sermon that Rob taught, using a liturgy that God gave the Israelites. It's in Deuteronomy 26 (Joke: What's a surfer's favorite book of the Bible? ANSWER: DUDE-eronomy.), and for details you can look it up yourself. In this chapter, God basically tells the people that when they are in the land He has given them and they experience his blessing, they must REMEMBER that ONCE their father (ancestor) was a "wandering Aramean" whose descendants were OPPRESSED in Egypt.
Essentially, the point that was made, and the point that I am wanting to reiterate tonight is that it is crucial to remember (when we are now children of God) WHERE WE WERE and WHERE WE HAVE BEEN. We are asked to remember our hurt, anxiety, despair, tears, and brokeness. Why?
No really, why? I think that God wants us to be reminded of THAT, so that we can see clearly how BLESSED we are NOW. That He is IN CONTROL, that He saw fit to SAVE US, even when we were wandering, not seeing what was best for us, hitting roadblocks and dark paths in our lives.
Now that I have paraphrased, Rob asked his community, "What is your 'My Father Was a Wandering Aramean'?" What past do you need to be reminded of so that you can thank God and grow closer to Him and to those around you? What do you need to be reminded of to show you that God is in control, that you can TRUST HIM, that you DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING to deserve His unconditional, unfailing, perfect love?

Related to this is that if you give your life to God, He will definitely cut your feet out from under you, and in my case, if you fail to be humble and claim credit for the many gifts He has given you. That breath you just took was a GIFT.

Car, family, friends, school, gasoline, warmth, clothes, talents, experiences = gifts.

I have to CONSTANTLY REMIND MYSELF of these things. That I am more likely than not a terrible human being, not deserving ANYTHING...but gaining EVERYTHING through Christ.

to be continued...(Part 2: Grace&Peace)