Is Jesus in the center of your life?

Since I went on the encounter, I have been trying to make and keep Jesus in the center of my life. It has not been easy. I have been through lots of storms. In fact I am going through a storm right now. Let me share one with you that started about a year ago. One day at work during lunch time I blacked out and had to be taken to the emergency room. My blood pressure was around 210/110. That's not good. My heart kept having these fluttering feelings. I was very dizzy. This was December of 2007. They put me on all kinds of medication and had me monitor my blood pressure. In February 2008 I was at the men's encounter and was taken to the emergency room again. Thanks Steve for taking me. My heart was fluttering, blood pressure was around 210/110 and I was very dizzy. I was in the hospital for 3 or 4 days and they ran all kinds of tests only to come back and tell me that they couldn't find anything wrong with me. Even though now my blood pressure would spike real high and then drop real low. So, my doctor put me on disability. Things started to get a little tight financially. In May I was still out on disability and the company I was working for laid me off. In June my doctor said that I was ready to return back to work. It turns out that all of this was caused by a sinus infection because of a bad tooth. Anyway, now I don't have a job and signed up for unemployment. When unemployment checked with my employer, they stated that I had never worked for them. Man, one thing after another. One day in August, I got a call from a Tim Boykin. He somehow got a copy of my resume and wanted to know if I was still looking for work. I said YES!.. We set up a time for an interview. The day of the Interview I was very nervous to say the least. I was at the mirror shaving and my beautiful wife was at the mirror next to me getting ready for work. The Lord put it upon my heart to ask her to pray with me. I looked into the mirror, as if I was looking at the Lord and what happened next was like an Abbott and Costello routine. I said no, she has never prayed with me before and I don't need this kind of pressure today. Again the Lord said ask her to Pray with you. I said no. He said ask her, I said no. He said do you trust ME. I said yes. The Lord said do you have faith in Me? I said yes. He said, then ask her to pray with you. I said ok, ok, ok. So with that, I turned to my very beautiful wife and asked her if she would pray with me about my job interview. What took place next gives me goose bumps just thinking about and it also brings tears to my eyes. She said that it sounded like a great idea and she reached out her hands and held mine and we prayed. Wow. I prayed before I went into the interview. I prayed when I got out of the interview. When I got home I hit my knees and prayed. I got the job. They didn't even interview anybody after me because the Lord wanted me to have this job.
Thank you Lord.
Why did I share all of this with you? My trials were not and never will be anything like Job's. I still have more than many in this world. The Lord has truly blessed me and my family. But, like Job, I did not turn on the Lord while going through these trials. I am not saying that they have been easy. At times they get very difficult and you feel like you can't take any more. But, by keeping Jesus in the center of your life and staying plug in with a bunch of great guys, I have made it through this storm. Will it be the last, probably not. But, Jesus will be right there bringing me through each and every storm and trial that I face.

Like Pastor Shawn stated in this weeks life group series. Keep looking straight ahead and don't look to either side. Look straight at Jesus, the Cross, and He will see us through.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

By keeping Jesus in the center of our lives, we can and will make it through all storms and trials.

Thank you Jesus!

God Bless you,
Captain Freedom