As the World Turns Right?

I called my sister this week and told her that I was considering renaming my Blog....As the World Turns seemed appropriate or perhaps my old favorite, Days of Our Lives.  Yes, its one of THOSE times in my life.  When I was in college my friends and I would literally arrange our class schedules around the television soap opera, Days of our Lives (no TiVo in those days!).  On any given day, at 1:30 p.m. there we were, 8 to 10 girls gathered around a TV to watch this epic show.  We were obsessed  with their triangles of love, deception, hurt and reconciliation.  We were also 18 years old with nary a clue as to how life ebbs and flows.

This weekend, I was in a worship service and the speaker announced the title of his sermon, How to Live Life Right.  His points were valid and strong as he focused on love, attention and the grace of God.  But for the life of me, I kept wondering if I shouldn't get up and leave the service.  His tone and examples were of a perfect family unit and it was to people very different from me.  I wanted to scream from the back of the room, "What about those of us who haven't gotten it right?  What about those of us who don't have perfect families, perfect marriages, perfect kids"?? (Ray was happy I stayed seated and quiet!)

But...I haven't lived life right.  My life includes struggle and bad decisions.  My soap opera life has more twists and turns than I can count.  Just when I believe I'm on an even keel words are whispered in confidence that shatter my heart.  Hopes and dreams get postponed and changed into different shapes and sizes.  People in my world are hurting.  I'm hurting.  Am I not living right?  

But wait.....preacher man, don't put me on a guilt trip.  I live my own trip daily.  I've planned all the attractions and know all the detours.  I've driven this road for many years.  I can't live right.  And isn't THAT THE POINT.  There are no perfect steps to living life right.  There is only one step and He has a name....Jesus.  For in my brokenness He meets me first.  For in my love He loved me first.  For in my tears and disappointment He saves the tears and counts each one.  For in my hopelessness He is hope.

For in all my distress and mess, He saw me returning to Him.  He even saw me from a long way off.  The day I decided I couldn't live life right on my own and turned toward Him He saw me.  In fact, in that day He began to run toward me.  The healer of broken hearts and dreams, the Creator of all things, the Saviour of the entire world.....ran towards me with open arms...whispering "you didn't get it right but I DID, I HAVE, I AM."  Finally, Mr. Right.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." Luke 15:20