The Faithfulness of God in My Life

As life goes on with all its many twists and turns, the one thing that stands out more than anything else after all these years is how good and faithful our God really is! Of course, that’s not to say that there haven’t been bumps and pot holes along the way. And frankly, life’s road seems to be getting a bit worse for wear as the years go by. But as I think back now on all the blessings that God has put in my life, and all the forgiveness He has extended to me when I was totally messing up, I really have nothing to complain about.

There is no denying that at this point I am much closer to the end than the beginning. Yet, if someone were to offer to take me back and miraculously give me another fifty years on this planet, it would be as welcome as a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Thinking about it now, I am content at this point of life. I’ve stubbed my toes, hit my head, and slammed my thumb with the hammer enough times so that I feel I’ve finally learned a few things, and I would not welcome having to go back and relearn all those painful lessons.

So being as young and vibrant as I am, I am still looking forward to serving God and this church for many years to come — that is, unless something changes. And hopefully, with the life experience I’ve accumulated through my travels, I can bring a depth and, dare I say, even a sprinkling of wisdom to the messages I present here each week.

In my wildest dreams, I never would have pictured myself at any point speaking in front of people. In school, most folks didn’t know the sound of my voice. And singing in the choir, I was always (happily) in the last row. So when I eventually chose a vocation, it was one where I would be dealing primarily with machinery. All to say, I have never been outgoing, nor did I have any desire to interact with people, much less become the center of attention.

Yet it is funny how God will sometimes direct your steps when you aren’t looking. For instance, as a young man, I could never picture myself getting married. Not that I disagreed with the premise of the institution, but I was too indecisive — too fickle to narrow down the field and make up my mind. So God eventually stepped in and told me to marry Pam. And here we are 36 years later, still trying to figure out how we are supposed to make it all work.

And as for my mechanical vocation, after standing on cemenmt for decades, my feet, ankles and knees were starting to complain. Then the shop suddenly closed. And the pastor here decided to retire, so I was asked to do “an interim gig” to fill in for a few weeks. So here we are fifteen years later, and I’m still filling in.

Not being the sharpest tool in the shed, I am still bright enough to recognize the fact that our Lord has been gently coaxing me from one stage of life to the next for a very long time. And it is at this point that I am finally deciding to try and take my hands completely off the wheel to see where all this is headed . . . because along the way, I have also learned to trust Him. And you should, too.