So What have I got to lose?

Part One

I am not ashamed to say that I am Christian. I want people to know what it is that makes me who I am, and what I am. If I had not given myself over to Jesus Christ back in 1986, I don’t know where I would be today. It’s not like I never knew who God was or what the Bible had to say about him, I just never took it to a personal level. When that intimacy kicks in you know it. You may not always have those wondrous close moments with God, where you just feel He is nearer to you more than ever, but you have that since that he is watching over you. Why not acknowledge it. Let people know that the God of Gods the great I am is the central most important part of everything that makes your life special. When you get up in the morning be proud to say “Good morning Lord my God, now I can get on my way, and have another wonderful day.” I do greet God every morning in many different ways, even it’s just to say, I need 5 more minutes. He is ever faithful, he rarely lets me over sleep. When he does, I am always running late, but never late for that which the day ahead has called for me to do. I usually get up at 4 am on week days for work. If I am smart, I lay out my clothes the night before, set the coffee pot to come on automatically, check and set the alarms on my TV and Phone before turning in for bed. My dad would always ask me if I was afraid of not waking up on time. He knew I was. I am one of those worrisome sleepers, if I keep my routine I sleep fine. If I forget one detail I am up in the middle of the night to fix it, and I lose sleep over it.

Today was one of those out my routine days where I took it for granted that I didn’t have to get up early, because it was a Monday Holiday. I had every intention of getting up no later than 6 am as if it was a normal work day. I would finally get to start the first day of my on line Bible Study on the book of Esther : Such a Time as This. Instead of getting up early as planned I slept in until 10 am.

I rushed out of bed, upset with myself and mumbling apologies to God for not being as intentionally focused as I had planned. I heated up some coffee and eagerly began my study. I found the challenge for the week, wrote it down, downloaded it and printed it out, I wanted to make sure I was prepared. I read the memory verse for the day, (Matthew 6:19-21)(from the Voice: Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice – don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead put your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. For where your treasure is there your heart will be.) I wrote it down, copying it from every version I had available at home, on my phone and online. I just wanted to make sure I got every little tidbit I could from the first day. I got more than that. I was so caught up in knowing what the word would bring, I lost sight of the true purpose of what I was meant to learn. What God has to provide for us is far greater than anything we have to offer in return. There is nothing in this world that is better than our eternal life with God our Father in heaven. As I read over the memory verses and the first 4 verses of Esther 1, I realized that one of the fears I have is not having faith that God will always be my provider, as long as I know from where my provisions come, I am doing okay. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but it’s okay God does He is already there. It does not matter what you have and how you flaunt it, unless you forget from where and who it came.

(Later: Part Two : So What Have I Got to Lose? Why Esther is my favorite book in the Bible.)