What has God done in my life?

Whispering Danny (click on the name to watch video)

Because of vacation, I missed about a week's worth of I am Second video sharing. I watched today's video and thought that I wanted to get back to sharing! It is a good one. You should watch it too!

Whispering Danny, who whisper-talks because of tumors that grow on his larynx, tells the story of seeing the miracle of his buddy surviving a deadly motorcycle accident. The doctors were ready to harvest his organs when his mother asked for one more day. Danny heard someone come in a pray a prayer of healing a salvation over his dying friend, and then wondered what all this crazy "Jesus stuff" was about. He went searching for himself on the internet that evening and ended up praying to Jesus himself. The next morning, his friend woke up. Whispering Danny now puts God first and says that he finds that through Jesus, he gets guidance, support and help in his life. It is a very dramatic story, but one that speaks of the hope and freedom that loving Christ brings to one's life.

My challenge for today from the I am Second email I received this morning was not only to share the video, but to share what I have seen God do in my life. Mine is not a story as dramatic as Whispering Danny, but I can definitely see what a difference putting God first in my life as made. While I was raised in the church and knew about God, Jesus and the Bible, it was not until well into my 30's that I discovered what having a real relationship with God was. I began to study the Bible, pray daily and often, and I began to understand that life was easier with God in it. I still had problems...MANY problems and heartaches...but in my heart I KNEW I could get through those problems and recover from the heartaches and it was easier to move on. I learned to be so very grateful for the grace and forgiveness that God gave me through Jesus and am more able to show grace and forgiveness to others around me. You know, that makes life easier for me! Not letting anger and frustration with other people rule my life and being able to let go of those kind of things does more for ME than it does for the people that I am showing grace to! People notice how I USUALLY don't let things get to me and how I seem pretty "zen" about most things. When appropriate, I share that my ability to be "zen" about things comes from God and not from anything that I am doing. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others. I try to live by those commandments each day. Like Whispering Danny, I find that I receive guidance, support and help in my life each day and I am sure it comes from my loving Father God!

I am Second!

I am Second - Day 2 - A Father's love

David McKenna (click on this link to watch the video)

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"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -- John 15:12

David talks about how he thinks his father is a good illustration of what our Heavenly Father is to us...holding our hand and stroking our head and never giving up on us, even when we have done terrible things. I have always felt that way as well. My dad loved me and showed me that love all the time and always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. He encouraged me and supported me, and forgave me when I did things he didn't approve of.

When we put God, our Heavenly Father, first in our lives, we begin to FEEL that fatherly love, encouragement and support, even if we can't see Him. I can't explain it. I don't understand all of God's mysteries, but I know in my heart and soul He is there and loves me unconditionally. 

David also says in his video that there is not always a later. We think that we can put off our relationship with God until we are in a better place, until we kick the bad habits we have, until we become a better person, until we have time...there is not always a later. If we truly believe that God can love us unconditionally, then there's no reason to wait until we are "better." God loves you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! If you reach out to Him, He will reach back and hold your hand and stroke your head and you will feel that fatherly love flow over you. I know this because I have experienced it myself.

If you already know this fatherly love, then you can share it with others. In the video, Dave explained that he needed love when he was weak. His parents showed him that love. However, there are people in the world who don't have loving and supportive people around them. If you see someone hurting in your life, reach out to them today. Or, just do something nice for someone you come in contact with. Buy a cup of coffee for the janitor. Call your mom. Pay for a stranger's lunch. Jesus commanded us to love others the way He loves us. We can show this love in very simple ways. Put God first in your life, and you will discover many ways to show His love to people you meet. I am Second!

I am Second - Day 1

I am Second - Brian "Head" Welch (click on this link to watch the video)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28

A year or so ago, my pastor did a sermon series based around the "I am Second" concept. This is a movement of all kinds of people who are living their lives for God, instead of for themselves and telling their stories. There is a website where people from all walks of life tell their I am Second stories. They are very powerful. During my pastor's sermon series, he handed out "I am Second" bracelets. I still wear mine every day. Some people have asked me what it means, and that has given me a chance to tell them that I live my life for God and put myself second.

I recently went back to the I am Second website and  started watching some of the videos. They really touched my heart because there are some people who really lay their hearts right out there and tell how God saved them, brought them out of a bad situation, helped them accomplish dreams and made their lives so much better. I decided that I wanted to share these videos with others, so for the next several days, I would like to share an I am Second video here on my blog and hope that someone who really needs to see it will see it.

I am not perfect by a long shot, and I make many mistakes every day, but I KNOW that my life is better and even a little bit easier with God in it and with Jesus walking beside me. That may sound like a lot of bunk to some of my friends, but it is what gets me through the day and enables me to do all the things I do in my life! I am second!