Living with LIfe Changes

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ”  –Ephesians 2:10

He looked into the mirror that morning after he arrived on campus.  His eyes swollen near shut, his cheeks the color of bright pink from the last skin graft.  He had two more surgeries and he was confident that there was nothing that could be done to make his face more presentable.  As he finished straightening his tie he turned to see the girl staring.  “Does it hurt?”, she asked.  “Not really.  After the fire, God has blessed me by restoring my eyesight and giving me the ability to smile and talk.  So I don’t really think about the pain anymore.”, he replied.  She smiled and walked away as he turned to make his way to the auditorium stage.

He always chose to the enter from stage left, so his right side was towards the audience.  Ever since the accident he had tried to avoid giving them a profile of his left side, which was still significantly scarred.  On this particular Saturday morning though there was a young girl in a wheelchair sitting along the aisle on the far left side of the auditorium (if you were facing the stage).  In her hand was a sign that read, “GOD STILL LOVES YOU.” As he turned to look at her his left profile was toward the audience.  He began to speak and he could hear the gasp from those near the stage.  He immediately became conscious of their reaction and turned opposite.

Then the strangest thing happened.  For years he had traveled the country talking about his addiction to crack cocaine and the damage it can do to a person’s life.  Providing his testimony of his own accident while smoking, catching his shirt on fire and then his entire left side.  It was this simple sign from a girl in a wheelchair that made him stop in his tracks and consider that even in his grotesque state, he was a child of God and that God could still use him.  Perhaps this was all part of God’s plan to change his lifestyle from the wild partying days of his youth and to use his experiences to change others for the better.  Was it possible that others lives had been changed because of him?  Was it possible that unbeknownst to him, God was using his testimony to keep people away from drugs and even to save lives?

His speech that evening was not on a Powerpoint slide, a teleprompter or in his notes.  His speech that night came from his heart as he poured out his warnings to the youth in the audience.  For once, he wasn’t afraid to show his face and he stood before the crowd in full display as he spoke not just of his mistakes, but that fact that despite all of his mistakes, drug use and partying, God’s love never for him had never changed.  He came to tears before that auditorium that day as he came to the realization himself that God loves the man inside of the flesh, not the person that everyone else sees.  God created him for a purpose and the years of living recklessly had not altered that path.  He came to the acceptance of God’s grace, right there on the stage that night.

We are all one step away from a life changing event.  God’s created each of us for a purpose that is not predicated on our physical appearance or life situation.  His view of you is from the inside out, He sees your heart, your soul and your love.   He has given you gifts for His purpose to help others and to lift up His kingdom.  In some cases these are not even discovered until a tragic event happens in life.  Going to prison, the death of a loved one, a car accident, a medical emergency or so many other potential events could easily spiral one into a situation of depression or self pity.  It could also bring a realization that there is something more, something constructive that can come from it.  Not that God creates these events in our lives, but He is our creator and can use any event for His good.

A choice has to be made when you are faced with a life changing event.  Are you going to use it to draw closer to God and expand your service in His kingdom or blame God and withdraw from Him?  His scriptures promise that He will never leave you, but you have to choose not to leave Him as well.