In 2013, when my oldest daughter was twenty years old, she announced that she had purchased a one-way ticket to Paris via Iceland. She planned to travel through Europe and Africa…by herself, with spotty communication service! UGH! She had earned and saved money to pay for this trip and would supplement her funds by couch surfing and work-away programs. Again, UGH! I didn’t even realize that was a thing! The idea of this trip wasn’t a complete surprise to me as she had spoken about wanting to travel and perhaps take a gap year. Still, it was a scary prospect for me to see her go off to travel the world alone.
For me, this caused a deep transformation in my prayer life, and my relationship with God. In hindsight, I recognize that at that time my prayer-life was a bit superficial. I would thank God for my blessings and then run through a litany of my needs as I saw them. In fact, I am sure I was probably telling God what I wanted the end result to be…in essence telling God what He should do.
Merriam Webster defines transformation as: a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance, to change in composition or structure. In the weeks leading up to her departure, that’s what I was experiencing. Something shifted inside of me leading me to realize two things. First, was that I had no control over what would happen, but God had control. And second, was that no matter how much I loved my daughter (infinitely), God loves her more than I possibly could. And it was this love, His love, that became the key to my transformation. I trusted Him completely to take care of her, even unto death.
In John 3;3, Jesus says, Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born anew he cannot see the Kingdom of God. That is what happened to me. I was born again into His love and trusted Him completely. This change led to a more profound prayer life, which led to a deeper relationship with Him. I released all my fear and anxiety on to Him. This is what God desires to happen. Romans 12:2 tells us Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. As this was happening, I was endowed with the peace that only our Father can provide to us.
This story demonstrates the process and essence of transformation. While the what and how are significant, the crux lies in the why. It reveals the ultimate purpose: to forge a deeper bond with God, ultimately conforming to His likeness and experiencing His unwavering peace.
Are we allowing His love to transform us daily so that we will be conformed into Him?
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
In Christ’s love,
Tracey
Enjoy this song from Casting Crowns - The Change in Me.
Comentários