My Life in a Psalm
A post by Natalie Jaranowski. Natalie serves as the Executive Director of the One Life Network.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
This week I am in New York preparing for a presentation on Innovative Churches at Movement Day. As I was arriving in New York, I had this moment of overwhelming gratitude to God for where my life is now. I have been given opportunities to share what God is doing in my life and in the lives of people through One Life on a global platform, all for the purpose of continuing to bring the message of the Gospel to people far from God. It doesn’t get much better than that.
As I think back on my life, I look at where I have come from. Early on in my life, my greatest hope was to just survive. Any hope for more than that seemed out of reach. Life was about getting over one hurdle at a time.
But then, enters Jesus. He turned my life upside down in the best way. Once I came to Jesus and really began living life His way instead of my own, a slow transformation happened. He didn’t just “save me” so I could just merely survive; he gave me a FULL life.
Now I find myself in New York. This morning as I was reading through the Psalms, I came across this in Psalm 116:1-2:
“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;he heard my cry for mercy.Because he turned his ear to me,I will call on him as long as I live.”
It goes on to say in verses 12-14:
“What shall I return to the Lordfor all his goodness to me?I will lift up the cup of salvationand call on the name of the Lord.I will fulfill my vows to the Lordin the presence of all his people.”
Wow, my life in a Psalm. And that’s really it for me. What can I possibly return to God for all that He has done for me?? I have been forgiven, restored, redeemed and set in a place where I can live out my calling every day. This sums up exactly why I do what I do. Jesus came and gave me a FULL LIFE, not just survival. I just want people to experience this same fullness of life. I want to give what I have been given.