"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Proverbs 23:7(J.B Philips)
My depression became compounded by guilt and self- blame at my destructive life
style and the concept of forgiveness and redemption was much like trying to
grasp a slippery fish with oily hands. It takes a determined act of will not
only to accept a gift that you feel you don't deserve but to then go on to live
a life of joy without guilt. To become a new creation you need to be prepared to
let go of the old life. Jesus gave us life so we could be people who are 'eager
and enthusiastic' about living a beneficial life (Titus 2; 14). How on earth
could I be enthusiastic when bogged down by such guilt and shame? So how was I
able to make that seemingly impossible leap from self- destructive young
depressive to functioning follower of Christ? Well not without His Hands
uplifting me, that's for sure! As I look back at that time twenty years ago I
can still see the face of each helping Christian vividly. It was their proactive
gentle non- judgemental response that finally lifted my self limiting depression
and filled me with a hunger to follow Christ more fully.
"In the same way, let your light shine before other, so that they may see your
good works and give glory to your father in heaven."
Matthew 5:16
It also illustrated one thing very clearly to me. Each of us makes up the Body
of the Church and Christ needs all of us to do His work, even when our actions
seem small and insignificant. After all it only takes a tiny drop of perfume to
leave a lingering scent. Fortified by His Love I then become a successful
special needs teacher ,working for years with very vulnerable children, often
with challenging behaviour themselves. (They say it takes one to know one!). I
suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 2009, which literally stopped me in my
tracks and left me physically challenged. However I still try to reflect His
love as best as I can, the compassion I witnessed all those years ago. Today
Tony is temporarily residing with my son and I. He had experienced domestic
abuse, was emotionally distraught and in need of much support and a safe
sanctuary. Was I delighted to share my home? I'm afraid not! My son was
undergoing a very gruelling training with the police, my elderly mum has
dementia and my painful disability often left me exhausted. Was I afraid to be
His Hands? Terrified to be honest! It would have been so easy to offer my
prayers and sneak back home, yet I felt compelled to follow His call. The
result? I have been richly rewarded in so many ways for my efforts. Despite my
fears I am reminded that truly nothing is impossible with Christ!
"But Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God
all things are possible.""
Matthew 19; 26
Tony's courage to face his fears has been inspirational. Best of all he has
witnessed my disability struggles and is curious by my apparent strength. I have
the opportunity to show Tony first hand what it means to be a Christian. He
knows that I pray for him daily and has experienced moments of real peace in
hard times. As I help Tony today, a Christian stranger also offered my son a
free home too, so that he could study at Police College without travelling the
gruelling four hours a day. As I feebly stretched out my hands, another caught
my son in his time of need!
Each of us carries the unmistakeable scent of Christ (2 Corinthians 15).
All we have to do is unscrew the perfume top!
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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