Remembrance

I was sitting in church this morning, waiting for the deacons to serve the communion bread.  I was praying silently, "You have done so much for me, God...." when I had a sudden realization: God hasn't just done "so much" - He's done it ALL!  My salvation is complete in Him, my freedom from sin and self is thoroughly accomplished in Him, my acceptance into His family as His precious daughter is DONE in Him!  There are no hoops to jump through, no tests to pass, no striving to make it - it's DONE!  You know that old hymn, "Jesus Paid It All"?  He really did!  Hallelujah!

Pastor Mike was talking about remembering today, remembering the high price paid for our freedom as a country.  I am so thankful for those men and women who were and are willing to give their very lives for my freedom and for the freedom of my children and their children, though they didn't/don't even know me.  It's pretty mind-boggling!  And as amazing as their sacrifice was/is, how awesome is it that Jesus made that ultimate sacrifice not for my rights and privileges as a Canadian, but to purchase my freedom for life and eternity!  And not for some unknown stranger in a generation yet to come, but already knowing every little thing about me...knowing I would betray Him, I would forget Him, I would take Him for granted, I would be selfish and lazy and unloving and ungrateful and deceitful and selfish some more...  I want to remember.  I want so much to live in an atmosphere of Christ, sharing every thought, every joy, trial, struggle, battle, triumph, every breath a prayer.  And I think an important step to getting there is remembering that Jesus has indeed done it ALL.  I can't seem to get away from the cliche "let go and let God..." because it's true!  I have absolutely no need to hold on to anything because He's already done it all, already planned it all out, already written the story - and even promised that the ending is really good!  What freedom there is in knowing that everything's been taken care of, all the little details have been attended to, all the i's dotted and t's crossed...by the One who loved me enough to sacrifice everything for my sake!  Why, oh why can't I rest in this?  Why, oh why do I continue to scurry around as if everything were up to me, as if I were the one in control? May we learn to rest in those oh-so-capable arms that are so very willing to hold us, and in doing so, may we take one more step towards finding real joy.  Bless you, Friends!