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Life with Edits






                                           


I remember the first book I wrote. I was so excited to work on it through every stage of its development. I eagerly waited for the manuscript's editor to return it several times throughout the process to refine my work. Slowly, I saw its shape in the finished work I had imagined. The day finally came, and I submitted the completed manuscript. I thought about what this book might offer. Could my experiences, lessons learned, and opportunities bring encouragement to people I might never know personally? I tried to visualize the type of people who would take the time to turn the pages and have access to the message I was compelled to share, that we can encounter the God of the universe and see His work in our lives in the everyday happenings of life. I wondered. Who would recall times when God was very near, even in the mess and muck of life, when it got tough? Maybe a young mother, like me, picking up the same toys for the seventy-seventh time that week, or a teacher, well-seasoned in her career but had lost the joy of her service. It could be one whose life was hit hard by trials and struggles now existing as nothing more than a shell would read just the right words in one of the many stories. Possibly, such a person finds hope, for the first time. I wasn't sure, but I was ready to share my creation. The works of these pages were birthed from my experiences and shared from my heart. I knew they had a destiny, a purpose.

 Though it seemed to take a long time, after the manuscript submission, the highly anticipated day arrived when I received the draft copy of my book. Though it wasn't complete yet, with a few tweaks and corrections, it would be ready for publication. I will never forget how much I loved the front and back covers and all the text in between. It had indeed been a labor of love; in my eyes, it was perfect and written exactly as I imagined. I was its creator, and it was my masterpiece. I saw it that way. I loved it because I had invested everything to bring it to life. 

If you think about it, the same is true of God. He invested everything to restore us to Himself. To make it more personal, God knew I would flounder, take faulty steps occasionally, and even be downright rebellious to His will for my life. I was a living, breathing, walking testimony to that fact! Yet, he didn't give up on me in the draft stages of my life. Instead, my Father continued to plan, construct, and repair me each time I created a human typo in my comings and goings of life. He continually worked to carry out the design He fashioned for my life long before I was even born.

Think about yourself. If you are reading this and think that's nice for you, but... you don't know what I've done. It is natural to believe we have missed the final edit God is willing to make in our lives, but you haven't. Mine has been an edit-on-repeat experience most of my life. Still, I've never heard him say, "That's it! No more error corrections for this one!" He will rewrite your story as many times as needed. He has a master plan, and no matter how many edits or redirections He has to make. His purpose for you has not been discarded. I struggle with this sometimes, but I am reminded that somehow, in some way - undoubtedly unknown how he could - God is delighted with me. Maybe not what I've done, but yes, with me. The same is true for you! Why? We are His masterful creation. He knows every intricate detail. We are each a book He has read cover to cover. He is our guide through the edits of life. He looks ahead to the plans He has for us, not based on what we can do but on what He can do through us. So, pause; don't miss the moments of everyday life through which God can reveal himself- even if they are less than perfect. 

God is the purposeful creator of our lives. Say that several times. No matter where you are or what you have done, God "Elohim" is your creator. Pause momentarily and think about this marvelous truth: Since God is your creator. He is invested in you. He loves you today amid the corrections needed to be made in this life. We see the work left to be done. He sees the finished work He will accomplish in us with our faith continually placed in Him. 

For My hand made all these things,
Thus, all these things came into being," declares the Lord.
"But to this one, I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word
Isaiah 66:2.

"Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them."
Ecclesiastes 12:1

Ecclesiastes 12:1 - Online Bible - Bible Sprout. https://www.biblesprout.com/bible/ecclesiastes-12-1/
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-The-Creator


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