Who knew?

Hi there!

I sure hope you are keeping warm on this chilly fall day.  The trees are just about bare to their branches. Yay, leaves galore everywhere!! Not...they look so much prettier on the trees.

Well, thanks to my hubby who just recently started to blog, I have now been inspired to do the same. I was really in denial that I had "it" in me to do this.

What is "it" anyway??...come to find out, it's HIM, not it, who gives me the gumption to express myself. Who is this "HIM" you ask? ...none other than Jesus, The Christ.

You see, I was so painfully shy growing up and into my teen and young adult years. For those of you who know me; you may say, nah....not Annamarie.


So, while I was in the middle of my personal study time in the book of Matthew, I got hit right between the eyes with these verses of how GOD spoke to me.

When I look at Peter who was one of The LORD's great disciples, I thought how could he do what he did. I mean Peter was the one who got out of the boat and walked on water when Jesus held out HIS hand to him. Talk about unimaginable bravery and faith!

Depending on how much of the bible you have read or studied, you may or may not have heard of Peter denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed while Jesus was being handed over to be crucified.

The Message version captures it so distinctly....

Matthew 26:69-74 MSG All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.” In front of everybody there, he denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.” Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: “I swear, I never laid eyes on the man.” Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. “You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away.” Then he got really nervous and swore. “I don’t know the man!”Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.

I mean, Peter had the honor and privilege of seeing Jesus in the flesh, and I...don't get to do that. Come to think of it...none of us do on this side of the world as mortal humanity.

Then I think about it, I was not much different than Peter, as I denied knowing Jesus as my LORD and Savior for 40 years of my life!

Okay, I get it, GOD! You have given me a very similar story as the Israelites. As it took them 40 years to make an 11 day journey across the wilderness, it me 40 years to circle round and round until I finally got it right! And, I could have never done it without Jesus!

As a little girl, I went to Sunday school and remember singing childlike songs rejoicing about Jesus. I also went to church on and off throughout my life. It never really sunk in how I was denying HIM.

I was using everything that I could think of to fill that GOD shaped hole inside my heart.
You know what I mean...things like drinking, drugging and carousing.

This is not easy to admit, but I have to be real, as it happened. I could deny I did these things and say they weren't a part of my life because they certainly were.

Did I see this as denial then? No, I was having too much fun, or so I thought.

Much like Peter, endlessly crying, after he denied Jesus three times just as Jesus said he would, I do recall crying rivers of tears through all the pain and anguish of my denial.

Then one bright day, I couldn't deny the fact any longer that I was created to worship and the ONE and ONLY Person who could fill that hole, void, utter emptiness; whatever you want to call it.... is Jesus Christ!! (Testimony will be explained at a later date).

Now there's no denying who Jesus is to me and what HE has done, what HE is still doing and what HE will continue to do until the day HE takes me Home.

Do you know HIM, because some day when you will undoubtedly, stand face to face in front of HIM; do you really want to say....who knew??!!!

Have you ever really thought about it...if you are denying who Jesus is, to this day??

With this in mind, I can undeniably say... how thankful I am for not being in denial any longer. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

What are you thankful for this day and as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches?

Have a wonderfully blessed Thanksgiving!!

In HIS Peace,

Annamarie