Useful When Faithful

I've been reflecting on my life since October of 1979 and November 1979. Those were the occasions when Marsha and I experienced the love of God and the power of God for the first time. Marsha had been a church goer for most of her life, but I had been involved in the church only a few years. Neither of us really understood who God is and what He offers us. Our lives changed for good in 1979. I'm not saying everything God wanted to change was changed in an instant, I'm saying that experiencing that life changing moment helped us become open to the other changes God wanted to accomplish in and through us. We became different people over time. So many times I have wished that my children knew the same guy my grandchildren knew. Lately I continue to see that in God's hands I'm useful beyond my ability. I watched Marsha be useful beyond her ability too. My usefulness grew with the persistence of my faithfulness to God. Day by day and year by year the changes have increased by usefulness. In the mirror of time I can see so clearly all that has happened because we met God in a clear and personal way in 1979. You can't rewrite history but at times I wonder what the mirror of time would show if I had ignored that little voice prompting me to attend the Cursillo retreat, and Marsha being willing to let me go away the first weekend after Camp Dennen closed. We both somehow listened to something we didn't even understand and God blessed us. I see people going through life thinking that life is great and all the while I know how much more life can bring. I can see myself as I meandered through life grabbing all that it had to offer. I taught school and had success, I was a father, a husband, a church leader and I thought life was good. It was but so much more awaited me. Thank God.