Starting Over

I remember when I started my career in Real Estate. My start date was February 23, 2003 – 15 years ago this coming week. I had been in full time ministry for a tick over 20 years. My whole working life up to that point had been in ministry. I remember as I started setting up my office thinking about how weird this is. I know that some people joke that ministry is really the “sales force for Jesus”. I really didn’t see it that way. I simply saw ministry as serving and leading people to surrender their hearts to the Lord. I saw my new career as trying to sell people a house or land. At first, I didn’t see my real estate job as a service career. The longer I’m in real estate the more convinced I am that it is all about serving others.

Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus coming to earth. He is reminding the people of Israel that things will not always be as they are. God is sending a new King, Whose Kingdom is bigger and beyond just this world. Check this out….

When oppression and destruction have ended
    and enemy raiders have disappeared,
⁵ then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king.
    He will rule with mercy and truth.
He will always do what is just
    and be eager to do what is right. (Isaiah 16:4b-5 NLT)

Starting over often means that we can learn from the mistakes of our past and do it differently this time. I’ve had many new starts that are much smaller in nature. If I simply rearrange my office or my house, it feels different and new.  I’m so thankful that the Lord has given me multiple “new starts” in my relationship with Him. I deserve punishment for how I’ve turned from Him to my own way. He patiently leads me back. His grace is unbelievable. He’s lost count of sins that I still remember. When He gives me a new start, He deletes my past. I’m so thankful for this level of love and grace. I’m often a “jacked up” mess, but He can use people like me because He specializes in taking “jacked-up messes” and making beauty out of it.

Pressing On!

Dwayne