Your Grace is Enough

I spent last weekend in Columbia, SC for my 10 year student-athlete reunion. It was so great to be back on campus. The adrenaline rushed as though I was the one about to compete as I listened to "2001 Odessey" in Williams-Brice Stadium with 75,000 cheering fans. Now that we live far away it will be even harder to visit and cheer for our Gamecocks in person. Going back always brings lots of memories flooding back to my mind. So many of them are terrific - friends, classes, hard workouts, successful track meets, and of course the beginning of Tyrone's and my relationship. Unfortunately other memories come back too. Memories that I am not so fond of and would rather forget. Mistakes that were made that I often wish I could fix and take back. Choices that have had a consequencial impact on my life.

I used to beat myself up over those bad choices. Negative thoughts about myself that would consume me to the point of tears. I would dwell on those things and allow them to define my self worth and character today. Praise the Lord! those thoughts are not from God. He has forgiven me of my sins by his grace and mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 assures me, "²It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

I am thankful everyday that inspite of my choices - the ugly, embarrassing ones or the prideful ones or even the best ones - God has given me the free gift of salvation through the perfect life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When satan tries to torment me with my "baggage" or my flesh takes over I can take refuge in the arms of my Savior that he has given me the power to overcome and continue to live for His purpose and His glory.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish stronghlds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive evey thought to make it obedient to Christ."

God has used the worst of my choices to mold me and stretch me. He uses them in the lives of people I meet so they can experience freedom for their baggage too. He uses them in my parenting so I can better relate to my children and steer them away for the world's temptation as they grow up. I certainly wish I would have made some better choices along the way, but I know first hand Paul's struggle in 2 Corinthians 12 and I claim Jesus' words in verse 9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Thank you, God, that your grace is enough. Chris Tomlin sings it well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtnE_e1LylY