Dear Heavenly Father:
You are so wonderful, so good and so kind. Awesome and majestic in all that you are, it is still incredible that you should engage with your creature. Especially one that actively chose to wander away from your precepts, your principles, your leading and your care.
Here I am though. A recipient of that love and care that brought me back from the brink of uselessness and hopelessness. A grateful recipient of your rescue through your Son who is the image of the invisible God. It is why Jesus is so glorious and wondrous that this only Son who existed before time began, took on flesh, suffered, bled and died and rose triumphantly from the dead. Now seated at your right hand, He intercedes for me. It’s amazing and humbling.
That’s not all, in your wisdom, you saw it fit to seal the deal of our relationship by giving me your Holy Spirit. Not as an occasional feeling from time to time, but to live inside and help me to know more about Jesus and experience the life of Jesus and express that to others.
I am particularly grateful for your Holy Spirit as my guide. For years now I can look at how you have led me. Sometimes in ways in which I’m consciously aware at the time, other times in ways that I recognise in retrospect. I cannot claim that every decision I’ve made has been correct. I admit from time to time I wanted to go my own way and do my own thing. It makes your mercy all the more remarkable that you patiently deal with these failings and still invite me back to you, back to learning from you and back to following on the path that you lay out.
This brings me back to the point of declaring once more, that I do not have a clue what to do and where I’m going. I can make whatever statements I want, but it always comes back to you. It is always about reaching a crossroads in life where I give up all my notions and ambitions, my aspirations and goals. I give them up and I look to you. I look to your Son, the precious One. By your Spirit, I yield and thank you for leading and directing.
It is that which has led me to enjoy your blessing in the wife you blessed me with and the three beautiful daughters we have the privilege of supporting in their development. It is your leading which helped us to know times and seasons for being with different groups for different purposes. It is your leading that brought us across some amazing people and opportunities to the praise of your glory. It is your leading that helped us through tough times and learn to trust you for the character to persevere.
The surpassing worth of knowing Jesus is enough to remind me that I am not my own. It’s not about doing my thing. It’s not about following any charismatic, smooth-talking, glamorous person who measures success in ways similar to the world you call me to be distinct from. It is about every morning asking and expecting your lead and direction and every evening expressing thanks for your faithfulness in doing so.
I thank you for where you have led me. I look forward with joy to where you’re leading me, where you’re leading us.
Thank you, Father.
(Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash)
For Your Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 