A Changed Heart

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  — Isaiah 9:6

As I watched my children get absolutely anything and everything they could possibly want, I wonder when my wants changed.  I don’t think it was that long ago.  I do remember a few gifts that I opened that excited me…my Nintendo, my Castle Greyskull, my Sega Genesis with Mortal Kombat, and several times that I received hundreds of dollars to go towards buying myself something expensive.  Those are the first things that come to mind out of the countless gifts I have received.  I recently found my Merlin game that I received when I was 8 or 9 years old.    I remembered so much about that Christmas at my Grandma’s house.  I really can’t believe the game still works.  American made is definitely better than China made.

I am just now learning that I can have the presence of God.  I have felt His presence in such a real way this past year that I am chasing it now.  I expect it to happen at some point every day.  It comes in some strange ways.  I was watching the WestJet Christmas Miracle on YouTube just the other day and God leaped on me for about 30 minutes.  I just sat there and marveled that as extravagant as they were on that day, God is even more extravagant with me.  The tears just kept rolling as I was on the mount of transfiguration with my Lord.  I have learned that this feeling is the best thing that this life offers.  I will continue to chase it every day for the rest of my life.

What if Jesus had never come?  There are many who honestly have convinced themselves that He didn’t come, and the Bible is just a book written by men to control people.  They don’t believe that the Bible is true, much less the Words of God Himself.  What if I didn’t have the hope that it offered?  What if I had never received the words of eternal life that I was offered as a selfish 16 year old teenager who couldn‘t get enough of worldly pleasures and temporary things that it offers?

I’d still be lost.

I’d still be thinking that enough money, the right job, or the right girl would make me happy.

I’d still be a slave to my immorality.

I would not know Him as any of those things Isaiah calls him.

But as it stands right now…I am free.  I am free to pursue God because I am a new creation.  In Christ, old things really did pass away and all things became new.  I am caught up in this growing process that will literally never end.  Every year that passes by I realize that more of the old has died, and more of the new has been birthed.  I think I have finally realized that there is always a new level with God.  There will continue to be a new level with Him for all eternity.  I will continue to love Him more and more year after year forever and ever.  That is amazing!

So here I am on Christmas morning waiting for my kids to wake up and rambling away on this WMD.  I just want to say thank you to all of you for your encouragement and support over the past several years.  Many of you have prayed and still pray for me constantly.  We are all in this fight to become Christ-like together.  None of it would even be possible if God had not sent His Son…who is Christ the Lord!

…and the feet come downstairs.

Merry Christmas

Adam