..a profound impact on me..

The Lordship of Christ in my life made everything different

June 28, 2007 (Thursday) – My senior year of high school was much more enjoyable for me because of the events of summer before school started. My rededication to Christ had brought me into the fellowship of great Christians, young and old. The Liberty Road Baptist Church is no more, because of the passing of the years and changes within the community. But the association with that church, especially young people my age at that time, made a profound impact upon me. (That group of youth, dedicated to Christ, had a tie so great that we have had a reunion for the past few years. Thirteen or so of us have gathered at Galveston in the spring of each year since 2003, with the exception of this year. When we had our first “get-together” in Galveston, in 2003, our fellowship was so good that one would have thought we had never been apart, much less that 54 years had elapsed since some of us went off to college and we all went our separate ways.)
When we were young people in our home church years ago, we were busy. We sang in the choir and presented special music in the worship services. We taught children in Sunday School and Training Union. We regularly conducted worship services at the county home for the aged, and at the Tuberculosis Hospital near downtown, We had regular fellowships after church, with refreshments and lots of fun. Sometimes we had picnics in the parks. We played softball with a passion to win.
Even though I lived on the other side of town and was in school over there, the enrichment of my life through that church fellowship enhanced my activities wherever I found myself. So I was much happier in high school than I had been the first two years, when I had felt out of place in a new neighborhood and a school that had been unknown to me.
Christ being Lord in one’s life makes all the difference in the world in the way a person sees things. I looked forward to seeing my friends at school and life was just different in every way. I worked in my parents’ restaurants, in grocery stores and in other places, and found myself enjoying the workplace more than ever before. You know, Christ really does make a difference, when we surrender our lives to Him. We see the world through new eyes.
Looking back over my life today, I can see how the Lord has led me and blessed me. The blessings are many, and they come daily. The greatest blessings of all are the people He brings into our lives. We are blessed by others.
We can be a blessing to others, too. As the old hymn reminds us, we can pray, “Make me a blessing, make me a blessing. Out of my life may Jesus shine. Make me a blessing, Oh Savior, I pray. Make me a blessing to someone today.”