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Topic: Paths (05/17/04)
TITLE: THE PATH MAKES THE DIFFERENCE By Antje Hill 05/19/04 |
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Regardless of when it started, at some point in my life, I took the path of Self. Why does a person stay on this path of destruction? Why not change directions? When a person is absorbed with self, they are not looking for another path. Self is the captain of their life. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
This path of self took me through grammar school and on through high school, all the while developing me into a young woman with low self-esteem and tremendous feelings of inferiority. These are two poor ingredients to take into marriage, but that is what I did.
Many years and three sons later, I continued on my unhappy path. I loved the Lord, I taught Sunday School and presented myself as a person who had it all together. Only those closest to me knew how unhappy I was. It took very little to upset me. My husband and I threatened leaving our marriage from time to time. I had been a Christian since I was 9 years old. I had asked Christ to be my Savior. That established where I would go when I died. But I never made him Lord of life here on earth. I cried a lot, asked forgiveness from my husband a lot, and then read my bible a lot. How miserable I was!
Somehow, through all my torment and confusion, God heard my cry for help. I had come to the end of me.
Dr. M. R. Dehaan, in his book, Broken Things, speaks of all the broken things we have to deal with in life. As infants, we have broken toys, as teens broken hearts, then as adults broken homes or broken dreams. He then states, “We cast the broken things aside and call them junk, but our God casts the unbroken things aside as useless.” Until we’re willing to be broken, until we give up self, we continue to search for the abundant life promised us as God’s children.
God forgave me of my life of self. Christ-centered wives and moms make a difference in the home. Our home changed for the better. God gave me 5 wonderful years with my husband before he called him home suddenly. We had learned to laugh and love together. I will always be thankful God didn’t take him during my rebellious years.
I have never regretted changing paths in my life. Once you’ve tasted joy and peace, self looses its flavor.It is not an easy path, it takes daily yielding. But the fruit is delicious along the way.
In God’s good mercy, he has now sent me a friend from many years ago as my husband. He has been on the good path for many years and is showing me, by example, the blessings of putting
(J)esus first, (O)thers second,(Y)ourself last.
“If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himSELF, and take up his cross and follow me.
Matthew 16:24(NKJV)