The WOW Factor!

I was lying in bed the other night checking the Minions Fan site on fb and it occurred to me how easy I laugh these days. It's as if a huge weight had been lift off my shoulders.

Up until 3 years ago, my life was ruled by stress. Stress about money, people, my life and my work. It took the break up of my marriage to change the course of my life so drastically, that I sometimes feel like pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

Oh I have the same problems as before, but it just isn't so big anymore. There is this lightness in me, that makes it possible to face everyday with a smile on my face. No problem seems too big or too impossible anymore. Things I use to fear, don't scare me anymore. The things I use to stress about, no longer worries me anymore. People and the things they did to hurt me, don't bother me anymore. What I want, just isn't so important anymore. I have a new focus and joy in my life. Peace is my constant companion.

It all started to become a reality the day I gave my life to Christ again. Before, I knew of God, but I didn't know Him. This time I was like a sponge soaking it up. Pain, hatred, bitterness, loneliness and desperation forced me to look at my life and I didn't like what I saw. I was on my knees and all I could do was call out to God.

He told me I was loved and beautiful. He promised me I will not be desolate anymore. He promised to heal and provide. All He asked was that I accept what His Son did for me and that I come into His rest. That I allow Him to care for me. It took me a while to fully understand it, but now that I do, I have never before felt so at peace.

I used to in a sarcastic way thank my ex for leaving me and giving me my life back. Little did I know how true those words will be. Only now I am not sarcastic anymore, but so truly thankful for the direction my life went. God really does change every bad situation into something truly beautiful for those who love and obey Him. I have no words to describe God and what He did for me, but awesome, faithful, trustworthy and wow are just some of the words that comes to mind when I think of God.

God truly is the only God that breathes life where there were death, makes new that which were old. I love God and I am not ashamed to say it. I have just finished a parenting course and they left us with what they call the 5 smooth stones to give to our children.

1. To teach our children to suffer well. In an unfair and corrupt world, God is good and still in control.
2. To teach our children that work is sacred and a calling from God.
3. To teach them to manage their lives wisely - God owns everything (money, time) and He will hold you accountable for what you did with what He gave you.
4. To teach them to make wise choices - God's Word is the absolute truth and His laws is for our protection.
5. To teach them to live in God's grace - failure is never final with God.

It hit me afterwards how easy it is to obey God. He MADE us to be obedient to Him. It is all wired into our DNA. All you have to do is choose who you want your master to be. God's grace is so huge, you don't even have to do it alone. He gave us the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us. I look at people who have chosen satan (people who chose themselves, money, the world, ectr) to be their master and I see them run from one relationship to another, one job to another, chasing money and people in an effort to find happiness, always coming out looking for more, feeling empty and I feel so sorry for them.

The answer is in us, but we have chosen to ignore our spirit man and rather run after our natural man, opting for instant gratification instead of long-term peace and eternal life. Satan has gotten it right to fool people into thinking they are in control of their lives, fooled us into only seeing the here and now and in the process we miss the bigger picture. So many people will die still empty and feeling unfulfilled, not understanding what was the purpose of their lives.

In the end we were made by God, for God and only when we get that, will we understand and live our purpose. You can kick against the truth of that as much as you want, in the end you will still walk away empty and unfulfilled. That hole in your life and your soul can only be filled by God's spirit. Only then will you be complete.

In the end you need to ask yourself what is the WOW factor in your life. What is it that, despite living in a corrupt and unjust world, makes your life absolutely awesome. If you don't have an answer, you need to sit down and ask yourself what it is that other people have, that you don't have. What is it about life that they get and you don't. What is it that makes them suffer well, makes them love what they do no matter what it is and allows them to make choices with a positive return. What is it that makes people who are facing poverty, death and all kinds of hardships, say my life is absolutely awesome. What is it about their lives that makes it awesome, when yours aren't despite all you have.