New Beginning

Driving out to Rapha this morning, I passed by numerous groups of kids gathered at the end of driveways.
New clothes and tennis shoes.
New back packs....
The kids were laughing and playing around.
It is the first day of school.
New beginning for each of them.
As I drove on, I found myself praying for them.
"O God.....right here in front of me is the future. Which one will be a leader? Which one will go on to greatness? Which one will serve you?"
I found myself asking God to cover each one of the children and lead them to a saving relationship with Him.

I remember "first days" of school, in my own life and the lives of my sons.
Time passes so quickly. Of course the reality is that each day still has 24 hours. That hasn't changed, but the perception of time has changed.
I have been out of high school now for 41 years.
Vicki and I have been married (as of Sept. 1) 38 years.
My oldest son is 36 years old.
My youngest son is 33 years old.
My oldest grandchild is 8, and my youngest is 4.
I truly see how Scripture could say that man's life is like a flower, or like grass. Green and thriving one day......gone the next.
If you go to a cemetery and look at the headstones, you'll see where it lists the birth date and the death date of the person who is buried there.
In between those dates is a hyphen.
A little mark that signifies everything that person buried there accomplished.
That insignificant little "straight" line holds every bit of information that was a part of that individuals life.
kind of scary isn't it?
We place so much on personal achievement. The strength of the human will. The ability of man to rise above his situations. Truth is........man rises no higher than God allows him to rise.

Today....
Find God for yourself.
Realize how precious you are to Him.
Rest in the knowledge of your place in Christ.
Tell your story to someone else.
Pray for someone today.

God on you..........
mb