I was so blessed Friday to be able to attend the Flourish conference at Big Valley Church last Friday night. Over the past 8 months I don't think I have ever been so sure of the fact that God has been with me and protecting me. He has definitely led me through this time and I pray that everyone that I have come in contact with has seen my dependance on God throughout this whole journey. I would truly be lost without Him. I have recently had this fire lit under me about what can I do, how can I reach others who have traveled down a similar path and don't have God on their side. I want to be a light, I want to reach out and just be God's love to them.
Friday night kinda just gave me that final piece to the puzzle of what I could be doing with my story. I have been so focused on what "I" want to do, how "I" can help and make a difference in the chemo world, that I have lost sight of the bigger picture. Our stories, the things and directions we go are not meant for only one purpose. God did not only come for those who get cancer or go through chemo, God came for everyone. He died and sacrificed His son for us that we might be forgiven and be a light to everyone we come in contact with. So why should I put God in a box? Only limit him to using my story for one purpose? I want to tell the world what God has done in my life. I want to tell the world that I am a sinner, I screw up everyday, I doubt, I fear, I don't make the right choices, but I do know that I am forgiven, I am loved, I have hope, and I am saved because God sent his son to die on the cross for my sins. That is my story, that is my choice. Everything else comes from the world. I don't want to say I "shoulda" told more family and friends about Christ. Or I "woulda" invited them to church, but I was scared of what they thought. Or I "coulda" shared my story and showed love to them, but I did not think I was anything special. We are all special and deserving of everything God has for us, nothing we have done or will do can separate us from His love. It is the sin of this world that separates us. If we can accept that and not be afraid of what the world is going to say and try our best to seek God in everything we do, He will forgive us when we sin and mess up. He will help us when we are weak. All we have to do is say yes Lord. Yes to giving him our burdens, fears, loneliness, our doubts, and everything else that comes with worldly things. I have been a believer basically my whole life, I have had many bumps along the way, I can tell you the who, what, and why's to lead someone to Christ, but on Friday night for the first time, the salvation message was put in a way that gave me confidence to share it with others. Because one of my biggest fears is that someone would ask me and I would not know where to start, or how to guide someone through the steps of accepting Christ through the Bible. Now that I know this, I have no excuse why I can't share with everyone.
So I want to share with everyone the tool that I have just recently learned. It is called the Romans Road, I suggest that everyone read these scriptures, they are so refreshing and just a reminder of what God has done for us and how much he loves us. And I encourage you to share with others as well because we have no excuse. I don't want God to tell me when I walk up to heaven, sorry Bridgette, if only you shoulda, then you coulda, and then I woulda.
These are the scriptures for Romans Road:
Romans 1:19-20
19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 10:9-11
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a
Romans 12:1-3
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
God is good and loves us even when we sin, we should not punish ourselves for this since God has given his son to forgive us and take these burdens from us so that we can live free and with hope that God is in control and we don't have to live in this crazy world alone.
