Thursday; September 5

I had a really bad nightmare the other night.  This one was not one of my usual nightmares (the ones where I am falling off of a cliff or in a shootout with a bunch of bad guys).  In this nightmare I found myself involved in activities that – if I had been found out – would have ruined my reputation.  I remember thinking in my dream that what I was doing could have some incredibly damaging consequences.  I was never so glad as I was when I woke up and realized that I was going to be okay.  When I was laying there replying the scenario in my mind I got to thinking about what would I have done if it hadn’t been a dream?  How could I live with myself if I had done it in real life?
As I look back on this dream a few things come to mind:  First, it reinforced in me the need to make good choices with my life.  Not only are there personal consequences to choices, they can also have ripples throughout every aspect of our lives.  Second, it gave me a brief insight into the lives of people who have made bad choices.  No, I don’t understand what they might have gone through, but it did help open my eyes to what it could be like to lose many of the things that you hold dear (like jobs, reputation, friends or family).  Finally, it gave me an appreciation of the value of Christian forgiveness.  No, some consequences will never go away when we make bad choices, but one thing we can hang onto is forgiveness.  The Apostle Paul was forced to live with some haunting memories, but he kept this thought, “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” (I Timothy 1:15-16). 
Let’s be cautious in how we live.  But, if or when we make a substantial error in judgement, let’s have the courage to confront it and the humility to trust that Jesus can restore the calm in the midst of our own personal crisis.
      Think About It!

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