Twenty Five Years and Counting

Well I don't quite know where the last quarter century has gone? On Saturday I celebrated my twenty fifth.  It started off at a fair slow pace, but then the last six or seven years have gone off running. I dread to think how fast the next twenty five will go (Lord willing). I'll be fifty. Yes, i'll be fifty.There's not much of a scarier thought than that!

But as I reflect back over my life so far - I am filled with a little regret - only that I wasted many years through my teenage years living for myself, when those years could have been spent being an awesome witness for Christ to my fellow generation. But that's only the side current. The greater sense I have, the central flow of the river that is my life so far, is complete thankfulness. Gratefulness to God for ALL He has done in and for me. A complete and utter sinner, who wandered aimlessly, self-absorbed, prideful, caught up in the glittering things of this world. And rejecting the very God who made and sustains me!
But then He reached into my life. He guided me into the Scriptures. He opened my eyes to see. His mercy reached far down, and as I saw my sin and turned from it to Christ, he washed it far away.

As far as the east is from the west.

What a God! What grace.

And so I am thankful. The most important event in my first twenty five years was the day God's Spirit recreated me, and I was adopted as one of God's children, set apart to live for my Lord's honour and glory.
That's been a journey of six years - but will continue into eternity. And it's nothing of my doing, nothing that I deserve. Drawn and captivated by the deep, wondrous love of God, expressed most gloriously through the wooden cross that the Son of Man hung on, bearing our sins. No wonder the Apostle Paul says that all he boasts in is the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ! (Galatians 6:14)

A photo of me on my birthday, exploring the wild.....