Guest Post : Captivated by Grace {Change}

Hello lovely Behind the Scenes readers!

My name is Erin and I blog over at Captivated By Grace

I am extremely grateful that Liz asked me to swap blogs today.

I have been following along with Liz since I started blogging a few months ago.

I was immediately drawn to her sweet nature and kind heart.

I am so grateful for my new friend in Christ!

Thanks again Liz!

Bah, Humbug.

-Ebenezer Scrooge

     Let me start by saying, this is not what Christmas means to me, but this infamous quote from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, keeps coming to my mind lately. Do you ever feel like this during the holiday season? Do you feel completely drained and burned out? There are endless lists of things we need to complete during the holiday season, people we need to please, and obligations we know me must take part in. Does it ever get to be too much for you? Do you find yourself complaining? Stressing? Losing joy? Resenting?

      Do you knows someone that is lost this Christmas? Unable to see the joy and beauty in this incredible day? Perhaps they have lost themselves or refuse to see the many blessings that they have in their life. For some reason, this has been on my mind a lot this past week. It reminded me of Ebenezer Scrooge, a man so unbelievably unhappy in his life. A man unwilling to see the good in life. Unable to see the blessings that surround him. A hardened heart. A heart needing the mercy and grace of God. 

     Anyone who knew Scrooge was terrified of him. He was mean and cruel. He was the last person that anyone thought was capable of change. He was a closed book. He was an end scene. Others looked at him, judged him, and condemned him. Would this do him any good? When we judge and criticize those who have fallen, are we doing them any good? Are we only making things worse for them?

     Perhaps we need to do the opposite of this. Perhaps we need to be there for them. Endure whatever trials they may be going through for a chance to help them see the light. To never give up on them. To keep pushing them. To lead them to a change. To guide them to the arms of the Lord. 

Even the coldest, toughest, 

and most hardened of hearts can be redeemed. 

In Him, we have redemption through His blood, 

the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with 

the riches of God's grace that lavished on us. 

-Ephesians 1:7-8

     We have all had our own "Scrooge moments" throughout our lives. Moments where our hearts were hardened with each new trouble placed upon them. We lost hope. We lost the joy. We affected the lives of those around us. What if everyone in our lives had given up on us? Had abandoned us? Even in our most ugly of times, would we have wanted our loved ones to turn their backs on us because we were too difficult to deal with? Where would we be if they had?

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      I want to be intentional with people. I want to lead my life in a way that can be of witness to those who are lost. I want to impact lives. I want to lift them up, guide them, and lead them to the one safe place they can always turn to. God has the power to right wrongs. To mend wounds. To change hearts. He has the power to save anyone. Who are we to judge the fate of others? We should do less judging of them, and more praying for them.

Even the most broken of hearts can be fused back together.

     This Christmas, I am praising God for the gift of His son. The Son that came to this Earth to redeem us. To die on the cross for us. To save us. Even through the hardest times of our lives, He is always there to save us again and again. I am so thankful to know Christ in my heart, to trust Him with my life, and to put my faith in Him. I want to live for Him, to be an example to those who are lost and broken. I will not give up on anyone, for Christ never gives up on me. 

I want to live like Christ. 

I want to love like Christ. 

I want to do all things for Christ who gives me the strength.

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     God, thank you for your Son. Thank you for sending Him to Earth on that glorious night. Thank you for giving Him as an example for how I want to try and live my life. Thank you for the ability to love. Help me to love more than ever before. Help me to lead others to your abounding love. 

Thank you this Christmas and always. Thank you for you grace.

I will start anew. I will make amends and I will make quite certain that the story ends on a note of hope, on a strong Amen, and I'll thank the world and remember when I was able to begin again.

-Ebenezer Scrooge

We are all capable of change. 

No one is unworthy of Christ's love.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. 

The old has gone, the new is here.

-2 Corinthians 5:17

Merry Christmas!...

Thanks for having me Liz!

Now go check out her awesome post here!