Thoughtful Thursday--Making Choices

It's been one of those days, and I'm just now taking the time to write my entry...

This was written last Friday, after a little going-away party we had for Chef Jean-Claude, who is finally retiring from the kitchen after 50 years. God has called him to serve however he can in Haiti, and mostly it will be with the children of Haiti. They call him "Papa Jean-Claude".

We will miss him.

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I am just in awe of God's goodness. Do you ever get that way?

We have just said good-bye to our chef at the Cove, Jean-Claude, and from what he had to say to what everyone else shared, God was honored. Over and over he said, "God changed my heart." and the testimonies were, "God changed you."

This goes right along with what I've been learning about the Doctrines of Grace, specifically the doctrine of Irresistible Grace. That teaching says essentially that once God changes your heart (or 'flips the switch' I like to say) towards Him, it is irresistible. We cannot resist Him because He makes us desire to come to Him. And I would venture to say that this not only happens at Salvation but also throughout your life.

When I first was told the Gospel, I felt like, "Well, why wouldn't I follow Jesus?".

When I felt called to act differently in regards to dating and marriage, I felt there was no other choice, because I wanted to go God's way. When I felt a conviction to dress more modestly, I felt there was not other choice because I wanted to do what God told me.

God had done a work in my heart in each of these, but most importantly the first.

When we are 'saved', or converted, it feels like we make a choice, because on the human side of things we did make a choice, but that was only after God changed our hearts and made us able to make the choice.

It happened for Jean-Claude when he was miraculously saved and I believe that it has happened again, in order that he might obey God's voice and serve in Haiti.

I've resisted the Doctrines of Grace, or Calvinism, in the past because I didn't understand and it all seemed so unfair for some to be chosen and some not.

But as I'm learning more and more about God and His word, I see that it's really not fair that any of us are given the opportunity to spend eternity with our Holy, Righteous, Loving God.

It's not about fairness; it's about His Goodness. And the more I learn that, the more I'm humbled. And the more I'm humbled, the more I love and need Jesus.

"Have mercy on me, a sinner."