Embracing Tomorrow

The church I attend uses acronyms for everything.  The most prevalent among them is the acronym - TOUCH, which changes meaning slightly, ever so often, as they refine their vision and goals.  So, as I sat and listened with half an ear to their next version of TOUCH, I began doodling and thinking about this past year, what I have lived, what I have learned and how could this acronym be used to express not this past year, but how could be used to express my tomorrows?

T - time together with family and friends.  This would mean real fellowship, time set aside for gathering to draw closer to God, intentionally.  Not volleyball games (which I love), going to the movies with friends, and all the many distractions our culture offers.  I need fellowship and due to this past year - apparently need to hunt down new friends to fellowship with.  Were it not for the attempted smear campaign by my daughter, I would just walk out the door and seek another church where I am not the object of gossip.  But, then Satan wins and my goal in life is to not let that happen.

O - overcoming my past.  I am reconciled with my pre-Christian past, with my post-Christian past, with my recent past.  Yeah, I know people whom gag at all three of those in my life.  But, then I am I the one whom has to stand before God, not them.  Like everyone, I have done what I am not proud of, and some of what God has had me do I am even less proud of, but in obedience I am at least spinning gold and not straw (to draw on an old German idiom).....

U - understanding God's Word, both by His Spirit and by study.  Absolute truth does exist - it is found in the Spirit's conformation of the Scriptures.  The purpose of the Scriptures are to transform each of us to become servants of God, not as a source of information or worldly truth.  The Scriptures are to be used to make disciples, and I know I have one more to make!

C - celebrate God's love for me and for others.  Celebration of this love is through Caring for others, Forgiving those whom harm us, Value the image of God to be found in each of us, Bring glory to God though a life lived for Him, Sacrifice to meet His goals (not our own), and in all things Thankfulness - even when life sucks real bad.

H - being of service to others, offering hope.  Service to others is my understanding of God's love in action.  As God has loved me, as God has given me hope, as God has forgiven me, as God has touched me - such is to be my basis of service to others.  I am called, in this mortal life, to help others - not myself.

So, what does this all mean?  I have a lot to do over the following years God leaves to me.  The first step is to get myself out of debt, which I have no hope of at this point in time but I can at least make an attempt.  Liquidate what I have, pay off people I owe money to, pay off a personal loan, then pay off my credit card debt.  In other words, really tighten the screws on my life and I hope all of those living here like beans.....  Then, having gained my financial freedom, the next step relies upon where things are with God.  Does He want me to go forward with getting myself prepared for a mission or is that to be done locally now?  I am excited to find out.....