Starting Where You Are

"To start fresh, to start over, to start anything, you have to know where you are.  To get somewhere else, it's necessary to know where you're standing right now.  That's true in a department store or in a big church, on a freeway or on a college campus ... or on life, for that matter.  Seldom does anybody "just happen"  to end up on the right road.  The process of redirecting our lives is often painful, slow, and even confusing.  Occasionally, it seems unbearable." - Charles R. Swindol, Starting Where You Are, pg. vii.

These are the words that Charles uses to start this book.  I think they are great.  Just these words alone is worth the price of the book.  But how difficult is it to truly grasp this.  Too often, we fool ourselves thinking that the way life is going is okay. The world is a mess all around us; we are up to our armpits in messy stuff.  And some how too many people think that this is okay.  We complain bitterly about our problems being the result of some-one else; it is never our own.  But... one day we will have to look in the mirror and take a good look at ourselves and ask the question; "are we happy with the way things are going; are we okay that our life is total mess?" We sit at the bottom of the abyss and try to find a way out. But it has to start with honesty; it has to start with a real understanding of where we are.  Then, and only then, do the words "Today is the first day of the rest of your life" really mean anything.  We can't do it ourselves; we need help.  Well, God gives us permission to start over; God gives us the right to start our life anew - washed clean; all our messiness is nailed to the cross where Jesus died for us (and our messiness).  You just need to ask and accept the gift that has your name on it.