A Time and A Place

Over the last several years I have felt that we needed to have a time and place to meet together – to learn, to share, to encourage each other, to laugh, to cry, to grow closer to God together, but until now that opportunity had not made itself available. But, over those months and years, I have been studying and listening and praying and taking notes, fully expecting that one day the Lord would allow me to share all that I have on my heart. I feel that time is now and I pledge to you that I will do everything I can do to help you become stronger and deeper and more intentional with your faith, as I also hope you will make the same pledge to help me do the same. But, we have to be willing to open up and be honest with who we are and where we are in order to make real progress. I know that may sound like too much to ask but let me reassure you I'm not asking it of you right now. God will let you know when it's time to share your story for the benefit of the group. 

See we need to see our past errors, our past sins, our past screw ups, as what they really are – sins! “Just” sins. Results of poor decisions or reactions to situations that yielded damaging and sometimes life-altering scars. But what if God allowed that to happen because He knew it was for your benefit? Or perhaps the benefit of those around you? Can He not make lemonade from lemons? Can He not make a Sin-a-bon from sin?

I am not saying God caused the bad to happen. In most cases, we bring it on ourselves, in other cases, it just happens as it's tied into a much larger picture that we can't see. But God, no doubt, loves you and wants the very best for you. It's very much like our own children, right? We give them warnings not to do something, but until they do it and suffer the consequences the lesson is not learned. Please try to look at your past, your present and the future as lessons to learn, opportunities to grow and share.

We must come together and share our experiences, our strengths, our weaknesses, our talents, gifts, our knowledge and any wisdom that we have squeezed from those lemons. We need to rally around each other, encourage each other and lift each other up.