My New Life

It's been a long time since I wrote but here I am back again. I hope to bring you encouragement by reading this post. If just one person is encouraged then glory be to God.

Everything happens for a reason. My granny lived by that saying. I truly believe that saying is true and that it's more than just a saying. It's the way God works in our lives. God allows things to happen to us that works together with other things for the betterment of our lives and to bring Him glory.

Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most popular Bible verses around.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for 

good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

~~~Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

That tells us that God is looking out for us. He wants us to prosper. He has our best interests at heart. I know it's really hard to believe at times because we can only see the pain and hurt of the moment we are in.

That is exactly how I felt on January 4th. My girlfriend Brittany left me after nearly a year. We had gotten together January 31st of 2015. I was completely devastated and did not want to live anymore. She was the first serious relationship of my life and it was a total shock when she broke up with me.

Surprisingly I never told her about this blog and I usually tell everyone about it. I'm kinda glad I didn't now because there's no memories of her associated with this blog.

In hindsight I should have seen it coming. Why? Well because we had a Godless relationship. She was kinda Godly when I met her but I totally turned her away from God because of my selfishness. I stopped doing the things I needed to do to keep her. I quit my job, I stopped loving her the way I needed to.

That all happened because I wasn't doing things God's way. That's the beauty of God. He'll let us go our own way for a while but then he'll shake us up and say no more. It's either my way or the highway. That is what happened to me. Brittany leaving me was the wake up call I needed to realize just how messed up I am. He broke me.

So after a night of crying my eyes out and only getting a few hours of sleep I went to her how to beg and plead with her to give me one more chance. To explain to her that I was a changed person. Yes a truly believe a person can change certain parts of who they are just like that and I had. But she was having none of it so on my back home I ended up at West Point First Baptist Church.

I honestly have no idea how I ended up there other than God was driving my car and I was the passenger. But it was exactly where I needed to be. Pastor Phillip and Student Pastor Todd talked to me and got me to truly understand exactly what it meant to accept God as the Lord of my life. So that morning I did and today I was baptized in front of the church!

It is amazing how I thought one of the worst things that has ever happened to me has been used by God to turn my life upside down for the better. Now that doesn't mean I have it all together. I don't. I don't know where He is leading my life. But I do know that I now have a calm, a peace, about me that I didn't have before. 

That doesn't mean that I don't have a weak moments anymore where I sit or lay in bed and think about Brittany for a few minutes wishing I had the chance to hold her one more time and tell her just how much I love her. But those moments are diminishing because God is slowly healing my heart and building a relationship with him that is everlasting.

So I leave you with this, no matter where you are in your life, God is always working for your good and to bring glory to His kingdom. Even when you don't think He cares He will rock your world. He will bring you to your knees. Because His way is better. His plans are better than our plans. I leave you with another one of my favorite verses.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

~~~Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)