Transition Teachings!

I apologize for not writing a blog for quite some time...well in a long time.    I took the fall off from blogging as I needed to finish school.  School is done and now I can come back to blogging.  So here we go!

Transitions are fun!  Well, sometimes.  Okay so they can stressful as well.  As I write this, I have been away from my wife and children since December 16, 2011.  Nothing terrible happened, but I finally finished school after 39 years (even though I am only 34 but work with me).  Graduation meant that we were done with living on campus and we had to move.  We didn’t have a place to move to, yet.  I was hired full time at West Orange Christian Church (I love WOCC) at the end of November that would start by the beginning of January 2012.  What that meant is we needed a place to live and soon.  We did find a place, a place that we really, really liked.  But it wouldn’t be available until February 1, 2012.  We decided that is was worth the wait, so my wife along with our children stayed in South Florida with her mom and dad (my in-laws rock) and I stayed up in Orlando to work.  Now I have said all of that to say this:  Transition has been a time of teaching.  Here is what I have learned about myself in the last 45 days:  1) I hate being away from wife and children, I truly hate it! 2)  I have more of appreciation for wife than I ever have, I am truly nothing without her and I don’t care if you make fun of me for that…she is truly my rib. 3) My children are joy and I don’t want to miss any more time with them (those who say “how can anyone one bring a child into this world” truly don’t get the joy of being a parent).  4) I am a big wieny! I never want to be away from my family like this ever again.  I have so much more respect for our service men and women who are gone from their families, months to years, so they can sacrifice and serve our country. 

The time of teaching isn’t done.  There are some parallels here.  I also learned that I hate being away from God.   I began to consume His Word like I haven’t done in years.  I communed with God often in this last 45 days.  I did all of this before but something was different for me this time.    There was void missing in my life…it was my family…and I knew God would give me what needed to fill that void.  David told God that he waited for Him all day (Psalm 25:5).  David also reminded me in Psalm 27 and 28 that only God can fill my emptiness and that only God will carry me.  Why would I want to be away from God?  That’s foolishness, what else will carry me or sustain me or bring me joy or bring me peace…NOTHING!  Are you far away from God?  Why? 

I also realized that I am no good one my own.  I have known this for long time…but for some reason it was different for me this time.  Jesus tells His men as recorded by John in his letter, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.” (John 15:4-6). Drawing near God compels me to be like my Jesus.  Jesus is my life!  My life wasn’t the same without Him…it was dark and hopeless.  I hated my life before Christ!  I was never meant to be separated from Him.  He died for me…He came to give me life eternal…He came to break my chains of sin so I could be with The Father forever…why then would I forsake Him?  No way!  I don’t want to be apart from Him, ever!  He is my Lord and my God.  He is the reason I live!  Are you attached to the Vine bearing fruit or are you on the verge of being cut off ? 

We have a Father in Heaven who loves us (John 3:16,17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:10; Ephesians 2:4; Romans 5:1-5, 8:28, 38-39, just to share a few scripture but there are a ton more that say the same).  I certainly don’t want to miss out on any more time with Him.  Do you feel the same?

Have a blessed day and will talk with you soon

-James