Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. -- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Today I received a special Christmas gift from two of my long time best friends. It was a bound book of pretty much all the things I have ever written in a blog. After the utter shock sank in, I flipped through the pages and saw familiar words and lyrics from songs I would (and sometimes still do) sing at the top of my lungs depending on the mood I was in. Some entries made me laugh, others made me cry, and still others made me shake my head and wonder what the heck I was thinking. Memories of days gone by flooded my mind and I could not help but wonder how God took what I was and formed me into who I am...and even who I am becoming.
Paul says it best in 1 Timothy 1:15 -- "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst". I have cheated, stolen, lied, manipulated, deceived, hurt, angered, lusted, and the list goes on. It amazes me to skim through past thoughts and see things that I was proud of and now instead am ashamed. However, no matter how deep my sins... the Father's love is deeper. My past has given me experiences that will be used to help other people and that God has used to shape me into the person I am today... and will use to shape me into the person I'll be tomorrow.
No I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise
You're not through with me yet.
If You Want Me To - Ginny Owens
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