embraced by Grace

I've been reflecting a lot lately on how things are changing in my life and what God is doing. It's exciting, scary, adventurous, risky. Sometimes I only feel one of those emotions at a time, and other times they all seem to cascade together simultaneously. Overall, I have to say that I am more excited than anything. Perhaps even a bit surprised at the plan God seems to be unfolding before me. Definitely more of an adventure than I dreamt. I've found myself almost wondering if it's but a dream from which I could awake at any moment. Then, I realize it's real. Things seem to be going so well, that I am too quick to consider that something perhaps may wreck it all at any second.

I was having yet another one of those moments of just thanking God for Who He is in my life and what He's doing in me, when all of a sudden....I heard it.

The Voice that I haven't heard that clearly in quite a while. Despite the time that had passed since the last encounter, the Voice was all too familiar. I used to hear it frequently, almost constantly. It's pretty much the same song every time, it just continues writing new verses.
It's the Voice that screams, "look where you've come from", "look what you've done", ""your past will always follow", "you stand guilty", and "you will never really be free". "What stupid, stupid decisions you've made." "What - no - Were you thinking?".
This loop would seem to play over and over. Eventually, Jesus taught me to listen to His voice, and shut the other ones out.
Those occasions of the Voice's return are few and far between these days.

As I heard it this time, I was caught off guard. At the first sentence, it seemed to cut deep. What if it were true?!
And then, just as soon as I finished that sentence in my mind, I was reminded of this: "If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed."

I absolutely loves the way that Jesus uses the Holy Scripts to transform and renew our minds!
And, it's so incredible to realize that this Voice isn't a lie I buy into even a tenth of what I used to!
Part of me never wants to forget where I've come from. I know as much as I can in my own depravity the depth from which Jesus had to pick me up time and time and time and time again. I'm sure there will be plenty more. But I know that I am covered, soaked, marinated, in the grace of Jesus Christ and it is beyond more than enough. It keeps me humble to remember, but He lifts my face up to walk as a bearer of His glory. And dangit, I'm learning to walk in His grace and glory the rest of my days.
The enemy wants nothing more than to deceive us into thinking that God doesn't fully offer what He says He does. It simply isn't true. Jesus really does set us free - Just a small part of the Good News!

Hmmm, I feel like this blog post is a bit southern sounding, no? I've only been out of the northwest for a matter of weeks and I'm not even back in the south yet! Oh man......