He Planted a Seed

Jeremiah 31:3 "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love..."

Psalm 139:13 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb."

When I was yet a Christian, I vividly remember moments in my life where I felt God's unconditional, everlasting love.  Little did I know at the time, that he had always been there for me loving me from the minute I was formed in my mother's womb.

My favorite distinct memory takes me back to when I was in my late teens.  It was late one night, I was high and feeling ashamed and broken due to the bad choices I had made up to that point.  Why do we all have to do wild and foolish things in our youth?! (Praise Jesus he's forgiven me for these sins - phew!)  Anyway...I remember feeling low, down and out, upset of who I was and where I was headed in life; no where - fast!  I knew about God and had already asked Jesus to come into my heart, but I certainly was NOT living a Christian life.

Feeling broken, I searched the FM stations (no satellite back then!) for a song on the radio.  Nothing was on except Christian music.  I stopped at a station and listened for a bit, feeling embarrassed that I liked it, I quickly changed the station.  I remember thinking "I wouldn't want anyone to hear me listening to Godly music, they would all think I was strange!" Trying to find something else on the radio to no avail, I went back to the Christian song.  Intrigued, I listened.  I deeply and intently listened.  I let the music poor over me like waves from the ocean.  I cannot tell you what the words were, but I can tell you how I felt - comforted, loved, and welcomed.  This one specific occurrence, stayed with me for a very long time.  That one Christian song led to two, then three, He planted a seed in my heart!  How cool is that?!

God's presence is all around us.  The world is his canvas.  Just look around you, he created it all!  Whenever I find myself walking in His woods, creek, meadow, field, or anywhere really, I soak up the sounds of the birds, crickets, water, the wind.  I am aware of his creations and thank him for everything that fills my senses.  It's remarkable how close I feel to our Creator when I am aware and grateful of all he has made.

Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

I am so happy that I changed the FM station back to the Christian song and really listened to what God was trying to tell me.  He planted a seed in me that night.  It's amazing to me, looking back on my life and seeing him take me - a girl who thought she wouldn't make it to see her 21st birthday due to her poor choices; to a woman following Jesus, where my only desire is to fulfill His purpose in my life.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

I've come a long way from that foolish teenager who made really bad choices.  Now I'm an adult, and although I don't make the same kind of bad choices, I still make poor decisions; don't we all?!  Aren't we all human?!  But now that I'm a Christian, not only are my sins forgiven, but I am no longer that person anymore!  We don't have to feel bad, upset, broken, beaten up, condemned, ashamed, none of it - all because of Jesus!  Because of Jesus, we can have a relationship with our creator!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, 1000 times THANK YOU, JESUS!!

Thank you Jesus, for planting a seed in my heart; and, for dying on the cross so we can have eternal life!

John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the word, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the word to condemn the word, but in order that the world might be saved through him."