Power filled positive thinking—Chapter 6A Blessed—Mourning into Dancing
We stepped onto the dance floor for the mother/son dance. My heart was overflowing with so much joy. As we stepped onto the floor, a video of Alberto’s life was playing on a big screen; so few were watching as he lowered his head onto my shoulder and whispered, “Mom, thank you for always believing and always praying—this is the happiest day of my life.” Then, I whispered, “Oh, but son—this has little to do with me and everything to do with Christ”. His reply, “Yes, mom; but who introduced me to Jesus? That was you mom.” Immediately I was overwhelmed by how blessed I really was. I looked across the room and saw Ron at the table with his family and saw him laughing with his infectious laugh of joy. Beside him, sat my beautiful daughter and her family. My heart was so overflowing with joy as I knew beyond all hope, how blessed I had been by God’s Grace, God’s Love, and God’s faithfulness to keep His Promises because of His own Heart. Thirty years had passed from a crucial crossroad decision, when God had asked me to trust and obey him against all odds. His promise? He would protect, guide and lead my children through whatever trials would come. Oh, yes; trials came, difficulties presented as they do in life; but, through it all I could now see God’s mighty hand writing every detail of my story. As a mother, did I always get it right? Know the right thing to say or do? No. In fact, often I had failed in my own eyes; yet, God was faithful. My sons were teenagers when their father died. Then, there had been my cancer and the years of illness that followed which by all counts, I should not have survived. Yet, here I was; alive and well. So much grace and such overflowing blessings.
That night I danced with the greatest dance partners. That night I danced with overflowing joy. That night I danced a praise song to God who had been faithful through it all and who had kept His promises to me. Never again would I be able to question His Abiding Love. I knew how truly Blessed I had been and how blessed I am in Christ.
Oh, don’t get me wrong here. Trials will come. Trials will confront me and my children. That is part of this journey; but, I know I can trust in a God who always and forever keeps His promises. I am blessed not on the basis of me—I am blessed because of who He is. I have been blessed throughout this journey. Every trial, illness, painful moment had even been a part of the blessings of God. It was in the midst of every fiery trial that I learned of His love, His faithfulness, and His strength to sustain me. Could I know the depth of joy I now have had I never walked through those trials? I daresay no. It was in the midst of trials that I learned to trust God’s heart. It was the darkest moments of my life that had taught me about the exceeding greatness of God’s power toward me (Ephesians 1: 19) and that God had “3 blessed (me) with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:” Ephesians 1.
So, the third possession I have in Christ is His abundant blessings. So, far I have shown you that in Christ I am His Blessed, Beloved Saint because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross. How amazing is that!!!
The same is true of each and every believer in Christ. All of it because of His Amazing Grace and Mercy toward me and you. Why is it so important that we know this and have this truth written with indelible ink upon our hearts? As God said in His Word, “As a man thinketh in His heart so is he” Proverbs 23:7. To live a Joyous, Victorious Christian life; we must start seeing and believing in who we are in Christ.
We will explore this further in the next section. Let me leave you with this thought to ponder upon until then.
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
So let me ask what destiny do you want to have?
I Have Been Blessed by Martina McBride
©2015 Effie Darlene Barba
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