Do you remember saying “yes” to Jesus?

Maybe you remember the exact moment, or perhaps you just remember how it made you feel. Maybe, like me, you wondered if it didn’t quite take the first time.

I remember expecting to change instantly and know the change had happened. I wouldn’t want to sin anymore, and I would be perfect! Lol. I wonder how many times God listened to me and lovingly shook His head, saying, “My child, My child, how confused you are.”

When we choose to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. But following Jesus is also a daily choice. Little by little, we learn to let go of the things we want to control and trust Him with every part of our lives.

That part about letting go can be a hard one for some of us.

Sometimes we want to hand God the steering wheel and declare, “Just take charge, God!” But after we’ve traveled a little way and regained our confidence, we reach over and try to take back control.

I believe God is a gentleman. He doesn’t force us into surrender. So, time and time again, He allows us to experience what happens when we insist on taking the wheel, patiently teaching us until we finally begin to understand the work He’s doing in us.

And oh, what a work it is!

Looking Back, Seeing Grace

Sometimes I look back and remember the hurt and broken person I used to be. I didn’t even realize how lost I was.

In my mind, my life was my own, and I was in control. Partying and traveling were my life goals. More than once, I would return home after having a blast at the “party of the century,” the one I absolutely couldn’t miss, only to find myself sitting at home, feeling empty and alone.

I would often ask myself, “Why did I even go?” The excitement was wonderful while it lasted, but the satisfaction was fleeting.

I’m so thankful that Jesus never gave up on me. His love and grace have transformed my life.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

What a beautiful reminder that His grace is sufficient, even in our weakness!

Remembering where God brought me from also reminds me to be kind, patient, and gentle with others. We never truly know what someone else is going through.

As painful as it was to walk through some of those valleys, I now recognize how God used those experiences to strengthen and refine me.

So now, instead of asking, “Why me?” I am learning to give thanks.

Thank You for bringing me through, step by step.

Thank You for rescuing me from the darkness.

Thank You for loving me when I didn’t even understand what true love was.

Kaidean Rice
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#kaideanriceblogs