Welcome to week What things did God tell you this week? Did you not love the study of the Faith Hall of Famers? Doesn't that ease your mind and heart?
I learned that God doesn't write history the way I would. Have you noticed that, too? Maybe I am two dimensional, but I would make the heroes good through and through. Followers of God and justice, strong, truthful, worthy of respect.Look good and shiny and be basically sin-free.
My villains would be rotten. You would be able to tell they were the bad guys just by looking at their shifty eyes, toothless mouths and unwashed hair. They would commit all kinds of wrong doing without remorse or regret. Scary music would play every time they appear from the dark alley.
That's why these Faith Hall of Famers hit me upside the head.
God uses (and loves, redeems and saves) R.E.A.L. people. Ones with warts. And scars.
This is why it is good that I do not write history. (you should all fall on your knees and give thanks right now)
This is why I am the biggest bundle of grateful you will ever meet.
Because I have not been the good and shiny hero in my life.
In fact, most times, I have been a perfectly horrible example of what not do do.
Twenty six years ago today I was vacuuming the new carpet in our church, getting ready to marry Rod later that afternoon. To be honest, I wished it were over and I was just married to this man who had helped rescue me.
No one from my family was coming to this wedding. No mother of the bride to help pick out dresses and flowers. No father to walk me down the aisle and jokingly threaten the groom. I was ashamed and embarrassed. (but,of course I will always be thankful for you guys being there for me, Randy and Nanci.)
Because of my past, (and they didn't even know all of that darkness) I had been told by a well-intentioned person that I was Rod's "plan B and you should just make the best of it. Besides, God loves you anyway, bless your heart."
Heavily burdened, I was heading into my wedding ceremony as a chore to get over with. Hardly a celebration.
But God....
I learned that God doesn't write history the way I would. Have you noticed that, too? Maybe I am two dimensional, but I would make the heroes good through and through. Followers of God and justice, strong, truthful, worthy of respect.Look good and shiny and be basically sin-free.
My villains would be rotten. You would be able to tell they were the bad guys just by looking at their shifty eyes, toothless mouths and unwashed hair. They would commit all kinds of wrong doing without remorse or regret. Scary music would play every time they appear from the dark alley.
That's why these Faith Hall of Famers hit me upside the head.
God uses (and loves, redeems and saves) R.E.A.L. people. Ones with warts. And scars.
This is why it is good that I do not write history. (you should all fall on your knees and give thanks right now)
This is why I am the biggest bundle of grateful you will ever meet.
Because I have not been the good and shiny hero in my life.
In fact, most times, I have been a perfectly horrible example of what not do do.
Twenty six years ago today I was vacuuming the new carpet in our church, getting ready to marry Rod later that afternoon. To be honest, I wished it were over and I was just married to this man who had helped rescue me.
No one from my family was coming to this wedding. No mother of the bride to help pick out dresses and flowers. No father to walk me down the aisle and jokingly threaten the groom. I was ashamed and embarrassed. (but,of course I will always be thankful for you guys being there for me, Randy and Nanci.)
Because of my past, (and they didn't even know all of that darkness) I had been told by a well-intentioned person that I was Rod's "plan B and you should just make the best of it. Besides, God loves you anyway, bless your heart."
Heavily burdened, I was heading into my wedding ceremony as a chore to get over with. Hardly a celebration.
But God....
..."showed His great love for us while we (I) were yet sinners."
That verse removes, it erases and eradicates my defeat and resignation and replaces them with an overabundance of joy and everlasting, eternal hope. It makes me celebrate!
I didn't need to clean up first, before I knelt before Him.
Broken.
Tired.
Unloved.
So undeserving, but crying out to Him. And He picked me up, twirled me around and rescued me. He blessed me, people.
The words describing the blessing that is my husband and the ways God has chosen to use me, a cracked and broken vessel, are tumbling over each other trying to get out.
Rod has never made me feel like I am his plan B, but has made it clear from the beginning that he has thought I am a treasure. A reward. His biggest blessing in this life. His one and only Plan A.
I will tell you, it took years, but Rod finally convinced me that He. Loved. Me.
He taught me what love is. Honestly, I never knew. Never understood. Rod did, though. He showed me by his excellent example. Love is a (present-active participle) verb, not just an emotion.
Rod is "home" to me. I could be content the rest of my life just spending every day with him, playing Deer Hunter 05, riding quads or laughing at the dogs. There is obviously alot more to our love than those things. But I could fill every blog on Blogspot with the details of my love for him and what he means to me, but you would want to kill yourselves from the sappy boredom of it all. And I try not to make people want to kill themselves.
Psalm 68 says "God sets the lonely in families."
He did, and He does.
All this to say that I am so thankful that God alone writes history and uses broken, imperfect, average people in His-story.
10 comments:
This post brings to mind the old hymn, "Blessed Redeemer." ("This is my story; this is my song: praising my savior all the day long....") I really enjoyed this week's lesson. I did not get all of the homework done, however. Still, I got a lot out of it. Thanks for posting, sweet friend.
What a beautiful post, Diane.
I just love how God loves His children and how He fixes all of those broken places. Healed...
I wish more women would speak such beautiful words of love and respect for their husbands. You've honored Rod AND the Lord in this post, and it blessed me. Thank you!
Do you have an address for the bozo who told you that you were Plan B? I'd like to smack her around a little.
Thank you for the beatiful reminder of God's perfection in writing our stories.
I think when you find the right one no matter what your past was dark or not God had His plan and you were part of it.
Sweet Diane,
This was such a blessing to read. I have often wondered why God would tell all about His chosen. Then, when I would think of the possibility of Him using me, I'd be comforted by the transparency of their lives. God is so good.
I am so glad He has blessed you with your hubby. I'd love to hear more of how you two have kept your marriage alive and flourishing!
God Bless,
Sonya
Loved this. Yes God has all that full picture of the men and women in the Bible with a purpose. One thing I conclude from this is that I'm to be honest and transparent about my "stuff."
Love your voice in writing. What a pleasant surprise, a Christian writer utterly real... I love it.
My opinion is that you were Plan A+++++! I loved this week as well. I believe it is good for all of us to see how HE uses even the least of us...ie: me & you. If we think He can't use us then we are limiting God, not just belittling ourselves.
P.S. If you think Rod is so great...you should see his youngest brother. tee hee Love ya sistah in law.
Diane, I must tell you how beautiful you are to me right now.
And I haven't even seen your face.
This is a perfect example of when humbleness (humility) is the farthest thing possible from humiliation. As far as the east is from the west.
And it's just beautiful.
Oh I loved this post. Rod is a blessed man!
Thank you for dropping by my blog. :)
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