What That Word Means

An elementary school classmate invited me to Vacation Bible School at her church. In class, when I was asked to read from the Bible I stuttered. A girl beside me giggled. My face grew hot and I felt ignorant. The teacher asked another girl to read.

Later, one of the girls told me, “You can’t be baptized until you’ve been saved three times.” I didn’t know what I needed “saved” from, so I just sang the songs, played the games and ate homemade ice cream.

According to Wikipedia, Salvation is stated as the saving of the soul from sin and its consequences and is only possible through Jesus Christ. His life, death and resurrection is the once-for-all sacrifice that atoned for the sin of humanity.

Jesus, who was beaten, flogged, spit on, slapped, mocked and so much more, took it all upon His body for every man, woman and child in all of His Father’s creation.

Does that mean He did it for me? Still, what was He saving me from?

I finally grasped my need for salvation many years later. The sins in my life were many and their roots had grown deep into my soul. I didn’t want anyone to know the terrible things I’d done. I fought to keep my composure. To hide my shame.

Jesus didn’t leave me alone. He continued to woo me through His disciples already in my life.

I remember the moment I understood salvation and the reality of Hell. Floodgates opened and Jesus blood washed through me cleansing my soul of sin. I became a new person then and there.

God didn’t make me perfect in my salvation. He showed me the Truth and invited me to be one of His children. To strive for perfection.

Do you remember your moment? There are people all around you who need to hear the Good News, to feel God’s love and be redeemed by Jesus’ blood. Will you give them the joy of Jesus love and salvation? Ask God for opportunities to tell people about Him.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings” (Psalm 40:1,2 KJV).

In Christ,

Berta

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No Visible Support

I remember a visit from my mother’s brother when I was a small child. Uncle Don flew his small airplane all the way from his home in southern California to a small airpark near our home in central Illinois.

As Uncle Don prepared his airplane to take me flying one afternoon, he went through all the safety checks. Before starting the engine, he yelled out the tiny window, “Clear!” Though we were alone at the airpark, my uncle still followed the rules to warn any bystanders of the danger from the propeller.

Flying over my little town, I saw my mother waving up at me from Main Street. She looked so little. I waived back in large swooping waves thinking she would see me better.

We waved with the airplane too. Uncle Don tilted us right and then left and back again. He leveled the plane and the airflow from the propeller continued to push us forward – to glide through the air.

As I grew in Christ, I realized a lesson God had taught me then. The plane, my uncle, and I had no visible signs of support. Uncle Don understood the physics of flight. He had learned how to control the airplane. He trusted knowledge.

For me in that time, I trusted my uncle.

 
Today I know God lifted me, a small child, into the unknown and unbelievable skyway. He not only defied gravity and amazed my little girl-self, He planted a seed of trust in Him that would grow in my spirit and strengthen my faith.

I trust God to guide me in His way. He is my strength and my shield. (Psalm 28:7 NIV).

“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good” (Psalm 25:1, 4-5 NIV).

In Christ,

Berta

The picture I chose to share here is of my older sister, Debbi, and me waiting for Uncle Don to complete his pre-flight safety protocol the day of my first flight.

SnapShots: Devotions from Life

Healing Your Past

Earl gave me a laptop computer in 1993 and encouraged me to journal. I pecked at the keyboard each day, writing about my life. I saw terrible words appear before me. Words that made me feel dirty. Ugly. They taunted me. I couldn’t face my past so I deleted it every afternoon before Earl came home.

A few months later God began waking me in the night and reminding me of the pain I’d suffered and caused. As soon as I was in my wheelchair each morning, my aide set up my laptop and I wrote until there was nothing more to write.

Weeks went by before I sat down to read my notes. Abstract and disconnected words and phrases confused me. Finally, I asked God for clarity and we went through it a little at a time. I took one or two words and built sentences. I took two or three sentences and created paragraphs filling in details I recalled as I wrote. Each memory seemed to trigger another and another. Soon the story became clear.

I cried as I faced my past showing in stark detail on my computer screen. I prayed for forgiveness and my tears began washing away the hatred and anger, the shame and embarrassment, the regret and more.

God began healing my past with His love that day. He has walked with me through it all and brought me into the Light.

We can’t hide from our pasts. All of our life experiences have helped form who we are today. However, God can heal your past if you ask Him. He chooses to forget our forgiven sins.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23,24 NIV).

In Christ,

Berta

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