~ "do NOT run with scissors, please..."

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matt 5:11-12)

It is very difficult to live in the real world. It is hard to surround yourself with just Christians. At some point, you have to interact with those who do not think or feel about God the same way that you do. Some people will smile and nod when you talk about your love for the Father. Others will ridicule or curse at you and your God! Some people will accept your "faith" as fact, some will not.

While sharing with one of my daughters that God has removed all temptation for alcohol, she looked at me like I had three heads and asked me if all I ever talk about is God. I thought about it for a minute - and the answer is that I can always bring God into any situation. Everything I have today is a gift from God. I didn't get it on my own and I'm alive today because of the grace of God. My life is a testimony to his power and mercy. I don't always walk a straight line, but I try very hard. I do what I believe he wants me to do and he blesses me. I don't always get it right, but he's there just the same. I am human. I make mistakes. I wander through this existence sometimes like a blind man. I bump into things and trip over things, I stumble and fall, but I get up and keep going. Some days I think I've been run over by a rather large truck and left in the road for dead, and then He lifts me up and brushes me off and I continue on. I'm learning to walk. Just like a baby learns, so do we.

Early in our "walk" with Christ, our footing is unsteady. As we grow in faith, our steps become more secure. But like a child who runs and falls and scrapes their knee, we also can get so caught up in the race that we too, trip and fall and scrape our knee! And there is the Father, wiping our tears and putting a band aid on it and telling us it's okay - we'll heal.

There is nothing that God can't do; nothing he can't fix. If we follow him, we follow truth! He lights the path on which we walk and keeps his word. If we choose to walk only partly in the light, we risk slipping and falling into the ditch. Be cautious and be safe. Don't take on more than you can handle! If you're unsure, ask for guidance and help from someone who is more knowledgeable than you. But don't give up! Continue to be an example to those around you! Let them see that Christ's love has changed you and made you whole!