Willing and Able

Several weeks ago and maybe a bit longer, I heard a speaker sharing a story from the Bible. Two guys were going to be burnt alive by the king and one of them told the king something along the lines of, “If you throw us into the furnace, we serve a God that is able and willing to deliver us from its flame.” Now, I don’t typically quote Bible verses or tell Bible stories, mostly because I’m not a Bible scholar and I don’t like talking or writing about things I don’t know well. This story delivers a message that’s been resonating with me for weeks now.

Last week I’d written about the turning point and point of safe return. This writing is more about faith and beyond faith, resolve. And more than resolve, it’s conviction, which is a firmly held belief or opinion. The origin is Latin and meant “to overcome decisively.” How about that etymology? To overcome decisively, coupled with belief in you’re serving something “willing and able” to see you through. We’ll just let that marinate for a second. Think about that would you?

When I struggle with belief, with conviction, of Him and His ability to get me where He wants me to go, I have to recall past triumphs. Not my victories, but what He has done, when I get out of the way! I struggle to recall, at times, the significance of His power. I struggle at times to recall His grace. Days like today and the last week or so, those are the times I struggle. I become uninspired, laxed, lazy, and complacent. I don’t move with certainty, or rather, conviction. These are the days to remember.

I must remember what has happened. I must recall the victories, big and small. From surviving a nearly fatal accident this year. To the paying of my hospital bills, while I was in a coma. To living in another country with no money for over five years. To burying two parents, two older brothers, and two best friends. I must remember bouncing back after countless jobs and multiple careers. I must remember through all of these ups and downs, gains and losses, He has carried me through. Just like the poem, Footprints, “It was then in your times of trial and suffering, when you see one set of footprints. It was then that I carried you.”

I serve a Creator that’s willing and able. I have been serving and I will continue to serve. When it’s easy, when it’s hard, I will serve. I will ask for help and I will receive more than I need. I will continue to live, thrive, and fulfill my purpose for being on this planet, at this time. I will do what I was created to do.

Today, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, I am grateful that:

I got a chance to talk to Gary briefly today. He was on the other line at work and we didn’t talk long. It’s great to have long standing relationships with people. The older I get, the more important those relationships become.

I got a chance to talk to Grady. We spoke about the roofing business. His ex-wife and a friend of mine recently died. So I wanted to make sure he was doing okay and he was.

I’m remembering what my Creator has done and is still doing. His grace is something that’s too easily overlooked and I’m happy the days I can recall. I’m a walking testament, but some days it’s shameful. I

This is the first part of the entry.