It's Time to Turn the Page

Faith:  Turn the page!
Flesh:  No, I'm staying here.
Faith:  It's time to move forward and see what's on the next page.
Flesh:  No.  I want to stay on this page. I like it here.  It's comfortable.
Faith:  God is writing more of the story.  I want to move on and write with Him.
Flesh:  I don't want to write anymore.  I miss my life that is tucked away in the comfort and security  
            of these pages.                       
Faith:  I know you do, but God wants me to press on toward the goal- the goal of Jesus Christ. 
            I've got work to do.  There's more adventure ahead.  Let go!  I'm turning the page!

Have you ever battled out loud with your flesh?  Sometimes it needs to be an audible conversation to hear how ridiculous the flesh sounds and how incredible faith is. 

I've taken time this past week to grieve my mom's death.  I know you can't shut off grief with an on/off button any time you want to, but you do have to live and move on with life.  I'm not one to wallow long, but closing this chapter of my life is much more difficult than I thought.  Turning the page means I'm moving on... without my parents who have always been a huge portion of the story.

Now, both parents, the mom and dad who adopted me, gave me a Christian home, a name, my identity, an incredible legacy of faith, are gone.  The chapters with mom and dad as main characters are now complete. 

Even though life changes dramatically through the years (marriage, children, etc...), parents are still a solid security system that you don't think about ever being without.  In fact, if the relationship is healthy, the bulk of a person's life is "doing life" with parents in the picture; birthdays, holidays, vacations, etc.

Turning the page, though, doesn't mean that you can never reflect on what's already been written, but it does mean that you have faith to let God continue His story. The story that isn't over yet.  The words that are written are LIFE.  It's so exciting to write along side of God and intentionally be involved in what He's up to. 

I wrote a song last summer called "Living Glory to the King of Kings".  In the song, verse two says, "Writing with the Author on this page of life.  Writing as His glory pen.  Writing the good story as He guides my strokes, until we reach THE END." 

That's why I have to move forward and turn the page.  I'm His glory pen and His glory is the ink that He writes with.  There's more to this LIFE and I have to proclaim His greatness, and speak His gospel.
So, in faith, I'm pressing on!  I'm turning the page!

Thank you for allowing me the time to blog through my grief and sadness over the last several weeks.  The vast range of emotions are very much a part of the healing process and a powerful component of the story that I will never forget. But, because of this page that I am now willing to turn, I will be stronger. God's grace, compassion, mercy, love, and comfort have "hugged" me and my family through. What peace.  What hope.

Stay tuned....

The next chapter begins...now. 

Hear the words of Jesus.  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." John 6:63 NKJV

My Pleasure,
Melanie