God’s Way!

All the month of September the God’s Love Outreach Ministry has been presenting Seeds of Music from the Seeds for Christ series to shut-ins that are unable to seek out God’s presence and love on their own. Within the one-hour program are various songs that have touched my heart and life, as I believe they have touched so many others.

Songs like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, “You, You, You”, “Que Sera, Sera”, “You Are My Sunshine”, and many more older favorites. Even in this program are newer great songs like “I Just Called to Say I Love You”, and “Hello, Again, Hello.” But the song that I really enjoyed singing to God’s many wounded children is “My Way” which is the last one before the closing.

I tell everyone there I changed the very last lyrics of the song. Lets take a close look at some of the lyrics of this song and maybe I can share how my life, I did it “my way!”

“And now the end is near, so we face the final curtain!” Well, as I’m getting older that really hits home. I think of when I heard one of the Gaither’s singers, George Younge say one time, “I have more days behind me than I do ahead of me!” Yep, but as a Christian, only on this earth. I like the verse in Amazing Grace that states, When we’ve been there ten thousand years! Wow.

“My friend I'll say it clear, I'll state my case of which I'm certain” Thinking back to when I was a young man to be honest I wasn’t certain of anything. Getting married at 21 and bringing my wife 3500 miles from a different country, I indeed didn’t understand what certain meant. Keep in mind I wasn’t walking with the Lord then, if I needed Him I would call out and He did answer each time.

“I've lived a life that's full I traveled each and every highway” No, I must admit though in the military I did get around there were still, and still are, a lot of highways I haven’t been on. As for the full life, well, now that Christ is in control of it I am richer and fuller by the minute.

“And more, much more than this I did it my way” That was the selfish part for sure.

“Regrets I've had a few but then again too few to mention” Yes, I can agree a lot with that. This all comes down to His blessings though I was doing it, or trying to do it, my way.

“I did what I had to do and saw it through without exemption” Nope, there were exceptions for sure. Sometimes I must admit I tried to take the easy way out. Turn my head rather than confront what I thought was right.

“I planned each charted course each careful step along the byway” Yea, sure. A lot of times I was flying by the seat of my pants as they say!

“And more, much more than this I did it my way” Selfish, bullheaded, stubborn, need I say more?

“Yes there were times I'm sure you knew when I bit off more than I could chew” If I was singing this to my family they would all be shaking their heads yes! I remember when I was young, just starting out with a family. I had a Volkswagen bug which was only 2 years old. Probably paid for and I wanted to get a Chevy Malibu convertible. My wife of two years said we couldn’t afford it and we should save the money for a house. Guess what? I did it my way! So we lived in an apartment a lot longer than what we should of.

“But through it all when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way” Well, let me tell you when there was doubt, without God in your life it is hard to stand tall. I probably did a lot of spitting out and running to get away from the doubt. Oh, by the way, you can’t outrun God!

“I've loved, I've laughed and cried, I've had my fill, my share of losing” Now this sentence is what life is all about to many people. Remember in the Bible John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world you shall have tribulation” a lot of people stop there and say “woe is me” but you have to read the end of the verse where Jesus says “but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” Praise God for that ending to a wonderful verse!

“And now as tears subside I find it all so amusing” Very seldom when we are crying we find anything amusing. Especially when you are losing. But tears of joy, those are my favorites! If you read the Book of Revelation we know as believers we don’t lose!

“To think I did all that and may I say not in a shy way, oh no, oh no, not me,
I did it my way” My friends for most of my life I’ve done everything in a shy way. But not anymore, God is in control and there is nothing shy about Him!!!

“For what is a man what has he got if not himself then he has not” Nope again! Our selfish pride tells us that but God tells us to put your trust in Him! The 23rd Psalm verse one in the (CEV) states, (A psalm by David.) You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

“To say the things he truly feels and not the words of one who kneels” Please keep in mind my friends this Bible verse Philippians 2:10 “So at the name of Jesus everyone will bow down, those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” Jesus is the only one I will knell to!

“The record shows I took the blows and did it my way” By now you know the answer to that as for me that is. The only record that counts for me is in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

So I hope you can also understand that this is how I end the song during the month of September. I changed the ending just a little but it has so much more meaning for me and I hope for you.

“But if I was smart, right from the start, I’d of done it God’s way!

From God’s heart, to mine, to yours,

Ed Shagott