Thought provoking message

So this morning I woke up late to my husband shaking me awake and rushing around getting ready for church.  Here I am thinking I have plenty of time because I set my alarm last night giving me exactly 1 hour to get ready for church.  I casually grab my phone, look at the time and it showed I had 15 minutes to get ready and I desperately needed a shower.  I hopped in the shower and told Pat I would meet up with him and the kids at church.  I went about my normal morning routine sans kiddos and was rushing so much that I was now sweating, defeating the purpose of showering.  Then, I walk out into the garage remembering Pat told me he was taking the corolla so I get to drive the Yaris to church..."what's the big deal" you ask.  Well the Yaris is a manual transmission and even though I can drive a manual, I am not 100% comfortable doing so, especially if there are hills involved.  So, I get in the car, drive to church and to my surprise did not kill it at all!  I walk into the building a little grumpy and sweaty (so e from rushing to get ready and some from having to drive a manual 5 miles).  I am greeted by smile after smile and I walk into the auditorium and find a seat.  Have you ever had one of those days where you are crabby, you don't really want to talk to anyone or be noticed?  That is the kind of morning I was having.  So, I sit down and there are probably 4 empty seats between myself and the next person in my row.  As soon as I sit down the woman starts talking to me and me, being the good Christian I am, pulled out my checkbook and pretended to be busy while answering her questions.  I pulled out my phone to text Pat where I was sitting as the music was starting.  I stand up and start singing even though I didn't feel like it.  The music was phenomenal.  Suddenly I could feel my heart and attitude change.  I went from being crabby and self centered to being incredibly grateful and God centered.  As the music continued and I was singing I started focusing on God instead of my morning and it changed my attitude.  When the songs were over I greeted the people around me and even hugged the woman I had never met sitting next to me in my row.  As I sat and listened to the message it really stirred in my heart today.  Pastor was talking about how we are like Veruca Salt from Willie Wonka and we want things and want them now.  I started thinking back about my morning and realized I was crabby because things hadn't gone my way or the way I thought they should have.  I took a step back to examine my heart during our singing and realized the lady I sat next to, the one I was "too busy" to talk to may have really just needed someone to listen.  What if it was her first time at church?  What if everyone she came into contact with treated her the way I did?  Am I comfortable with being known as that kind of person?  Absolutely not.  I want to be known for being compassionate, loving, a good listener, etc.  I zoned in on Pastors message and he was telling the story of Achen and how if be could have waited a little bit longer the thing that he wanted could have been his along with more.  God wants to give us more than we could ever imagine but will not give it to us out of disobedience.  Pastor talked about sex and why it's important to wait until marriage.  Growing up in a catholic household, I wasn't really ever taught much about sex.  I knew you weren't supposed to do it until you were married but no one ever told me why it was so important or special to wait.  Unfortunately I did not wait until marriage and was sexually active at a young age.  Knowing what I know now, I wish I would have waited.  I pray that Pat and I educate our kids about why its important and special to wait for your spouse.  For some reason out o he message that was given today, which was excellent by the way, this really stuck with me.  I immediately thought of 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 where it talks about sexual immorality and being "bound" to the ones you "sleep with".  YIKES!  Thank goodness for mercy, grace, an forgiveness.  My past is anything but perfect but Jesus is perfect and this is why I am so thankful for God being the God of 2nd chances.  1 John 4:9 states that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  My past has made me who I am today, I made many mistakes and thankfully learned from them.  I am so thankful that God saves us right where we are but loves us enough not to leave us there.  I no longer feel guilty about my past but plan to use my experiences and mistakes to help guide an teach my children to do things differently.