God untangles my messes

....and I can create some pretty big messes. Thank you God for always loving me.

--Coming close to ending a chapter, a year in my life, but certainly starting a new chapter. Things I have learned, while some are hard lessons, and some are of love and friendship…..I certainly have learned to appreciate my own family. We spent many days opening our home to so many, and learned that some came with sincere and genuine love, and others came with not quite a friendly heart. We have certainly seen people come and go, and lives have changed, and friendships have been broken, some reborn, some more distant. Part of being in this ministry, and probably the hardest for me, was to watch as kid’s lives transformed, some good some bad.

Lessons learned that hit close to heart, my family’s heart, were those of friends to our children who left, came back and the friendships that were strongest survived through Gods will. What a gift!!! God is truly powerful.

Recently our family, as a result of our leadership, went through even more change. It is often difficult to be a parent and a leader all at the same time. Wow, have I learned some hard lessons. But I am pleased with the outcome that God has chosen for me.

I have certainly learned all about forgiveness. Wow have I learned my fair share of forgiveness this year. I think it has made me stronger and allowed me to love some very special people. Even if for just a while they were a part of my life, I am so blessed to have shared some amazing friendships. While I shed many tears because I didn’t agree with outcomes God has chosen, I smile today because I am comforted by his grace that it is all a part of his plan for me.

My focus is solely on my kids and as we close the year, we look forward to new beginnings because God is all about forgiveness. I am taking the lessons learned, and creating new and wiser relationships with those we encounter. As my wise husband said in his very colorful language, …………“I guess I can’t exactly share what he said…..”

I am married to an amazing man who is truly my best friend. He has inspired me to trust again, but carefully and wiser. Not so easy to trust even a little, after the year I have had.

Awesome thing is, that I had some amazing friends in Christ, who were there to help me pick up the pieces, even when it was my fault. I thank them for still loving me even when I had a big stupid mouth. It’s a cyclical process of friendship and while some stay in your circle, some do bounce away and take their own paths. It doesn’t matter if your 13 or 39. We all go through similar changes just at different levels. I am grateful for God’s love because in the end he is who I should have pleased. Why don’t we just get that?? Could it be I’m human?

I am trusting God to reveal his plan for me and to create in me a heart, to move forward and accept the change and grow from it.

So with that said, I am just wife, mom, home school teacher, Counselor in progress, Grad student, and a child of God. I continue to minister using all those gifts!!!


God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving!

Marie Godines