Brenda’s Blog – August 9, 2022
“Some of my most significant life events happened at an altar.” Jack Graham, Pastor Prestonwood Church
As I drove down the road early one morning I listened to the sermon of Jack Graham. His subject was total surrender to God’s will. I thought back over my life, recalling several key moments kneeling at an altar dedicating my life; standing before an altar pledging marital fidelity, and joining hands with family members as we said goodbye to beloved parents.
Then, in typical Brenda-fashion, I started hearing the word roll around, changing its meaning. Altar became alter. But they really are not so very unlike.
I heard a woman bemoaning additional weight the other day… ”I used to blame my dryer for shrinking my clothes, but I was wrong – it was the refrigerator’s fault.” Clothes that used to be a tad too big now hug my ample late fourth quarter body. How thankful I am for elasticized waists!
Living for nearly 80 years gives me the advantage – a robust selection of rear view mirror experiences. I can look back on moments of alteration when critical changes were made. Some shocked me while others quietly creeped up. Some were received with boundless joy while others took my breath away and threw me into a spin. But all were alterations!
And even better than that – they were altar-ations. They were brought into my life by the hand of a loving, gracious, all-powerful God. When I kneeled in recognition of His goodness my heart experienced peace preciously unknown. Peace with God and the peace of God gave me an acceptance of alterations and made each day one to practice altar-ations.