REVELATION!

Tough and Challenging

There are 13 days left in this year and I find myself reflecting on 2024.  I think I can safely say that 2024 was one of the toughest and challenging years of my life.   I’m 58 years old and I’ve been through piles and piles of what flies love most. So to say this year has been one of the toughest and challenging could be argued but, let me explain.

God Challenges Us

I started off 2024 with the goal to read a daunting number of "12 "nonfiction books.  I thought if I could do that it would be an accomplishment for many reasons but mostly my own lack of dedication to slow down and read. But I discovered Audible and that let me listen to books when I would otherwise be vegging out probably listening to music on the radio.  Between reading and listening I was able to read and absorb many more books than my initial goal.  You might be wondering how reading or listening has anything to do with tough or challenging?  I can say that, because that’s what I would be thinking.  Actually, I’d be thinking something like this, “What a spoiled brat, he should have been through what I had to go through but he had the time to read  books or listen to books, I wish I had it so tough!”.  With that thought in mind, let me explain because reading is generally a relaxing thing to do and to be honest, the reading/listening was relaxing especially to our fast paced life in the world today.  Believe me, everybody has challenges in their live and in their families that are difficult to maneuver, and believe me, that is not lost on me. however, that is not the kind of toughness or challenging I’m referring to. What I’m referring to is throughout 2024 I found as I read each book I was challenged with my own beliefs and I had to open my eyes wider and trust more.  For a guy thats been around 58 years it’s not exactly easy to change my paradigm of life.  No matter what you believe in and what you think you know change is never easy.  What it boils down to is how I relate to God, the world, my friends and family.  I started to reflect on who I am, what I thought I knew, and started to realize in some aspects I was totally missing the boat.  That is a tough realty, especially when the only person to blame is yourself.  In the process I also realized how much more effective I could have been to glorify God if my pride was less than it was; if I, for a moment, realized there is a way more important purpose to my life than just me and those who immediately surrounding me.  That’s a tough one and challenging to understand and make changes in my life for the sole purpose of glorifying God.  So along with a tough and challenging year, it was also a year of enlightenment, revelation, and realization that I have a much bigger purpose on this earth than I originally thought.  It’s a divine purpose straight from God and despite my own shortsightedness He is there and has been there the whole time. He has been exceedingly patient with me, He has given me and continues to give me the space, time, wisdom and knowledge to figure it out.  I’m not sharing this to beat my own drum, absolutely not.  I’ve very confident in who I am and who I belong to and I don’t need and external recognition. But what I want is for you to know it is possible for you to achieve a closer relationship with God than you have right now. And just to be clear, when I use the term God I'm referring to God the Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a current relationship or if you have had a relationship for many years.  There is always more and when I think I have all the answers He enlightens me with more knowledge and wisdom.  Reading books, including the Bible, spending time with God on a regular basis, talking to Him, confiding in Him, and just getting to know Him on a deeper level has changed who I am at the core level and the past 12 months have eye opening along with being tough and challenging.  To say the least, it's been worth it!

May Your Walk Glorify God

As 2024 winds down, the Lord knows we have a lot of tough challenges ahead of us. There will be revelations and realization in 2025 and in coming years and along with each one may your relationship with God be stronger and stronger with each subsequent day.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.