Mighty to Save

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ.  It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes-the Jew first, and also the Gentile.   Romans 1:16. 

This will mark my 100th blog entry. 100th post!  I can’t believe it! This has caused me to take a pause and reflect on the life of this blog so far.  I was in a very different place when I first started this, 99 posts ago. 

I just moved to Hawaii , and wanted to share my  journey and this new chapter in my life. Or to simply share what God is teaching me.  In a way, it was my therapy and it still is. 

At that time, I was early in my recovery, just quit drinking, made that conscious decision to turn my life over to the will of God, particularly in my struggles with alcohol.  God used the tools of Celebrate Recovery, the biblical 12 step program to begin the healing.  I learned at the root of my addiction are past hurts, hang ups and character defects.  

There are a lot of hurting people in the world right now. I don’t have to watch the news to know that. As a family physician, I not only see the  physical hurts but the emotional and spiritual.  This often comes in the form of anxiety, addiction, depression.    We all have been hurt. 

Everyone at one point is hurt. I think that’s one thing that as a human species we can relate to despite race, ethnicity or gender.  In a sinful world that is unescapable. 

Our world is hurting now.  From that hurt comes anger.  All lot of that we’re seeing now. 

When there’s injustice, a hurt, some try to seek justice in the form of vengeance. 

Some try to figure it all out. But when there’s no answer or not the answer we want, it only leads to more anger and frustration.  There will never be an explanation or justification  to compensate for the loss or hurt we have.

So how do we move past it? 

Recovery has taught me to face my past hurts and surrender them through forgiveness. To move past hurt, we need to forgive.  

Not an easy lesson to learn.  Not a popular solution.  Where is the justification in that?  But it is the biblical solution.   It is what Jesus teaches us. 

You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!……If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that?’  Matthew 5: 43,46. 

Forgiveness doesn’t settle all the questions of blame, justice, or fairness, but it does allow relationships to heal.  It is important to remember that forgiveness is not granted because a person deserves to be forgiven. Instead, it is an act of love, mercy, and grace. 

One of my past hang ups I had was with the church I grew up in.  I had a lot of anger and didn’t know until recently I was still dealing with forgiveness for this institution that I felt prevented  me from having a true relationship with Jesus all this time.  But really it was just me pointing the blame for my own rebelliousness and short comings. 

Now I have a relationship with Jesus so I can let go of all that, surrender to Him and forgive. 

I get so discouraged by what I see on the news, social media sometimes I have to just turn it off. I get overwhelmed.  Those times then it seems like everything is going crazy around me, I remember to turn to the Father and pray.  Cast those burdens on Him.  I remember what Jesus did when He died on the cross, for me, for us our sin.  Jesus wants to take it from me and take it from you.  Will you let Him? 

I’m not going to lie. To write this is a struggle. I really have to turn down the volume of the world and turn up the volume of God’s voice speaking to me. This requires a stillness, discipline when all I want to do is go watch some mindless t.v. 

I don’t even know if anyone reads this, but that doesn’t matter.   Then I read that verse.  I don’t have to be ashamed.  Besides its not for me to know or say, if it reaches just one person, God has used me to do his work, deliver his message.  It is the power of God at work for EVERY one. Not just a few.  For you! 

My hope for this blog is that it will relate with someone else who might also be struggling with addiction.   I also hope it leads them to a relationship with their creator.   And so I continue to write as long as God fills me with His spirit.

For He is mighty to save. 

Thank you for letting me share

-hopeful girl, Janette sober for 4 years, 10 months, 20 days and 20 hours. 

Hopeful for another day more