Its time I put this on "the walk" as I have only shared this with 2 others... Happy Friday everyone!
Who God is to me
By Lonnie Bateman
Yaywey, heavenly Father, God, Jesus is all those things wrapped in one. Who is God to me? More importantly who is Jesus to me? See God can mean many different things to many different people. We have earthly gods that rule our lives. Other religions have their own version of God. As a follower of Jesus Christ – Jesus is my God and my salvation. Say the word Jesus and people know exactly where and who you stand for. As I look at the years of past in my life – God was not much a part of my life up until July 10, 2005. My younger years were spent doing my thing as a kid which really meant that the world was all about “me”. I remember my mom trying to take us to church and having to get dressed up and all and really fighting about going. After some time had passed – my brother and I won the battle and mom quit making us go but that also meant that it kept mom from going. She was very much a believer in God. God became a very important part in my life when I was sick in January 1999. After a very real close brush with death, He began pulling me back into church and taking my faith journey seriously. I can remember saying to God, that if he let me live, I would be the father that my son Kyle needed to be. Carol and I attended our first church service Easter Sunday 2005 at Rocky River Church. There in that school lunch room, I was taught in plain English and in a very real way – the Bible and Gods word. His word became alive. Being on fire for God for the next several months led to my baptism in July and then the grace of salvation was extended to my mom later that month with Pastor Jimmy praying over her with tears running down everyone’s face. See mom knew something was going to happen and she had to make sure that her next steps would be secure. After a 4 month struggle with cancer – mom went home on February 23, 2006. It was such a wonderful experience that morning feeling close to God and knowing that mom was in his presence at that very moment with words “Job well done” as Jesus reached out his hand to her. It is a day that I look forward to myself. God is my father. A father that is full of all the comfort I will ever need in this life and the life that is to come. He is there always ready to listen and ready to encourage me in the next steps I have to make. God has given us the words – “Fear Not” for each day of the year. He has taken away many of my fears because I know he is for me and his promises are true. I often times love to close my eyes and see Jesus listening to my prayers and concerns and then lifting them on my behalf to our heavenly father. I also love to imagine His face when I give Him the glory and praise He so deserves. How he must love that part! I know with all my heart that the love he has for me is real, alive and on a level I cannot even comprehend. The love I understand in my own heart is such a small portion compared to the love God has for me. Love comes from him and as I grow in my faith journey it becomes more and more powerful as I learn to love those who are in my life. God is a perfect father and being a father myself – he makes me be the best father I can be. My life today is totally different because of God. The things of this earth are no longer that important. I strive every day to serve and share with others what God has done in my life. It burns deeply the love I have for others because of him. He has given me a wonderful wife, a wonderful son, and “MyKids” who I love with all my heart. I strive to be the best father, husband, fatherly figure, coach, male role model, friend, son, and spiritual leader that I can be. I look forward to serving him and serving those around me until my name is called and I have to leave this earth. I think about that meeting sometimes and not even being able to speak as he reaches his hand for mine. I want to see and feel the nail scars in his hands – those were for me. My sins put them there and I am sure there will be tears. I will be looking for my mom and many others who have went before me. I take my faith seriously. It is mine, I own it and hearing the words “Job well done” will be a joyous moment for sure. Life has meaning now and so much purpose. Alive, finally after 40+ years of living in the wilderness and being lost. I feel more alive than I have ever been in my life. If God called me today – I would welcome that call… because the best is yet to come. I am so blessed by the life I have now – even though at times it is hard and struggles are very real. I know my God is behind me – taking me by the hand and leading the way. He is perfect in every way. I am willing to follow …. Like a sheep follows his shepherd. He is a good shepherd indeed. I pray that God calls me during that still moment of the day when time seems to stand still – where heaven and earth touch. It reminds of a poem someone wrote long ago.
I am standing by the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.She is an object of beauty and strength,and I stand and watch until at last she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sun and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, 'There she goes! Gone where? Gone from my sight - that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and just as able to bear her load of living freight to the places of destination.Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says,'There she goes! ' ,there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout :'Here she comes!'
With Jesus I can do anything. He is my rock, my salvation and my life. I can’t imagine life without him.
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