There is a moment at the end of every Masters golf tournament just after the winning putt is made, where the shell shocked winner walks off the 18th green and into the arms of his family. There are tears, hugs and joyful celebration. It’s one of my favorite moments in sports. You see, the Masters isn’t just any golf tournament. It is the Super Bowl of golf. The tournament everyone wants to win and no one wants to miss. This, apparently, includes Tiger Woods. [..]

“Sometimes God has us on a long journey, trudging uphill. We can only see the dirt path with no way to see over the hill to the destination. Perhaps if we saw where we were going, we would be planning what we would do when we got there: where we would visit, sites to see, places to eat. We would completely overlook the journey. We would miss the sites along the way, the sunsets and sunrises, because we would be so consumed with the final arrival.

I challenge you to enjoy the walk you’re on, saturate yourself in the experience, remember where you are walking through and encourage other stragglers on the way. Because over that hill is something far more wonderful than you can imagine. This is your journey, your walk, your story, only you can choose how you handle the “lay-overs.” God has never let you down and he’s not going to start today.”

That message was written on the inside of a card and left on my car for me to find. On a day where my most earnest prayers were lifted up and trust was getting tougher and tougher, I received this. On a day where I prayed “If success to you God means you want me to be homeless and glorify you that way, I will be homeless. I only want what you want,” and I actually meant it… this shows up.

Thank you so much to whoever it was that wrote that on a card and placed it on my car. Thank you for that blessing and encouragement. I can never thank you enough.

Dear Reader,

I hope those words will also speak to your heart and you will click off my blog knowing that God has never let you down and he’s NOT going to start today. Make it a priority to remind someone of that today.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Yesterday, I went to Whole Foods to do some reading. As I was just getting settled in my book, I noticed a young guy sitting across from me. He was staring at everyone in the room with an inquisitive look on his face. I shrugged it off and continued reading and then the phone conversations started.

“I’ve got to tell you about this thing that has completely changed my life,” he said quite loudly. “This has been such a blessing to me and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. It makes me feel so good that I can help people completely change their life.” At this point, he had my interest. Was I about to hear someone’s testimony right there in Whole Foods?

He went on to explain how amazing this life change has been and that if they are ready he will reveal to them what the secret is. Apparently the person on the other end of the phone wasn’t quite ready so instead he made a lunch appointment with the person for later in the week.

I noticed that he had a jug full of water with him. The only other person I have seen carrying a milk jug full of water was body builders. “Mark, hey it’s Brian. It’s been a long time! How ya been?” He started his next conversation. This went on for quite sometime until he found someone who wanted to know the secret right then and there over the phone.

“If you are really ready to hear it, I will tell you the secret. You just stop me when you have to go, cause I can talk about this all day long. Are you ready? You sure? Ok… it’s…. water. Yep. Water.” He went on to explain that drinking this water has healed him and has given him this unexplainable joy. There’s this machine that he bought that converts regular water into this new water that heals all kinds of disabilities. He says it’s on the cutting edge and that soon it will spread like wildfire.

At this point I realized that this is probably a pyramid scheme and laughed to myself. I was pretty sure that once you tried out the miracle water and felt better that the next step was to purchase the expensive machine and then go and try to sell others the machine and the person who sold to you gets a percentage of all the machines you sell, etc.

Then it hit me. This person believed in his product. He couldn’t wait to tell people. He took the product with him wherever he went. I’m sure he faced some apprehension about telling someone that “water” will heal their pain and give them joy, but he did it anyway. He called his product his “blessing.”

Now, I am not advocating we treat the saving grace of Jesus as a product. I realize that money probably fueled this man’s passion about water, but the way he spoke about it broke my heart.

I know unspeakable joy. I know true healing power. I know a love that can’t be put into words. And there I sit. Quietly and to myself. Not sharing the blessing that changed my life with anyone.

My “jug of water” goes with me everywhere also. It’s up to me if I decide to share it.

The word revolution means a sudden, complete or “marked change” in something.

Once we decide to let God write our story, there is a “marked change” in the way we live our lives. A rational decision to alter our lives and follow Christ. This can come when we are in our deepest brokenness or walking down the street, but there is a conscious marked change.

Romans 12:2 puts it this way:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

A “marked change”.  It happened to me.  It came laying in bed one night when I finally admitted to God that my way “sucked.” It was time to hand the pen over to the author of salvation.  My story hasn’t been the same since.

Who is writing your story?