Revised Edition Part Four
Welcome back to Time With God, Part Four of Eight. If you haven’t read Part One through Three yet, I encourage you to catch up here, here, and here … This journey is transformative, and starting from the beginning will help you engage fully with the message.
We live in a world governed by time, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, and so on. But how much of that time are we dedicating to God? While time is a gift, it’s easy to let distractions steal it away.
Do you eagerly anticipate your Time With God? Or does life get in the way? Spending Time With God, through prayer, worship, and Bible reading, should be our highest priority.
Are you still?
Are you taking time to truly connect with God? Or have you been distracted, missing out on the transformative power of being in His presence?
As we continue this series, I encourage you to reflect on your Time With God. Let’s prioritize it together. Don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next part of this life-changing journey.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing..
I remember the moment after my spinal surgery in 2009-2010, when my doctor came into my hospital room and informed me and my family that I had nearly died during my surgery. I hadn’t come out of my anesthesia and the surgeons were about to give up trying to revive me. My family and I were horrified, yet thankful that I had somehow made it through.
Now when I look back, I am filled with immense gratitude for the second chance I was given. I thank God for blessing me with a chance to live and enjoy everything that life has to offer. I thank Him for giving me the opportunity to spend time with my loved ones, to fulfill my dreams and aspirations and to share His mercy and grace with the world.
Thank God, that I am still here. His Mercy has allowed me to continue living and to share all that He has blessed me with. Brothers and Sisters, this is the incredible Grace of God. He loves us so deeply and endlessly. His goodness knows no bounds and I am thankful every day for His presence in my life. He has been my rock, my strength, and my refuge during tough times. His love and protection have been my saving grace. May we never forget His love and mercy and thank Him always for the blessings He showers us with.
When I left the hospital after my spinal surgery, I had 6 months of what was supposed to be a relatively short recovery ahead of me. Little did I know that those 6 months would be some of the longest and most difficult of my life. I had to go through physical therapy and see my chiropractor 3-5 times a week. On top of that, I wore a neck brace every day. I could barely eat, talk, or even take a few steps. It was a time of immense difficulty, one that felt like it would never end. But I am so thankful to have made it through. Even to this day, I still have not fully recovered, feeling pain and discomfort, but I am alive. I am grateful for the strength I found within myself to make it through.
Despite having had surgery, I am still far from 100%. I face a variety of issues due to the surgery, and there are times when it can be difficult. Yet, by the grace of God I am still able to talk, laugh, walk, run, and dance. I am able to witness my children’s smiles, kiss my wife good morning or good night, and I can still raise my arms to God in praise during worship. I thank God for the strength He has given me and I am forever grateful for His grace.
As I began to heal and recover from the surgery, the first thing I wanted to do was to take my wife and our boys to the beach, our towns local Lake. It was a strange place to go, but there was a reason. The beach was calling us, a call that could not be ignored. It was a chance to take in the sights and sounds of nature, to feel the waves crashing against the shore, see the boats passing by and feel the sand between our toes. We were ready for an adventure, to experience the lake in all its glory. Standing on the beach, I was overcome with both sorrow and joy, as I watched my two boys running around in the sand. They were picking up seashells, laughing, and enjoying the moment. The warmth of the sun on my skin was so soothing, and I felt completely at peace.
As I held my wife close, I thanked my Almighty Father for His grace and mercy. I was so blessed to be able to stand here in this moment and to be given a second chance to make things right. I was overwhelmed with emotion as I realized how blessed I truly was. I was so lucky to have another chance to learn and grow, to make mistakes and to learn from them. I have been given a second wind of life, a chance to make right my wrong choices and correct my past mistakes. This is a gift that I must treasure and appreciate, a chance to truly see what God has given me every single day, something I have taken for granted or overlooked. I must no longer put myself first and think I am above all. Instead, I must realize that I am blessed with so much, and I must be grateful for all the things I have. I need to take time to appreciate the little things, the moments that I have taken for granted in the past. I must not let such blessings go to waste and must be thankful for the opportunity to start anew. This is my second wind, and I must make the most of it. I want to make it a point to no longer put myself first, to not think that I am above all, but to worship and recognize He who is.
“The blind man is able to see the world in a different light, more deeply, and more profoundly than any of us who can see.”
“A deaf man can still converse with God and hear his voice, even though he cannot hear with his physical ears.”
“We often overlook the small things in life, mistaking them for being insignificant.“
It’s moments like these that we take for granted, moments when the beauty of life can be fully appreciated yet we forget to be thankful. We forget to take a moment to give glory and praise to God Almighty, to spend Time With God. We forget to recognize the intricacies of life and the importance of our relationship with God. But it’s moments like this, when we are lying in a hospital bed, or when a surgeon tells us that he almost gave up on bringing us back, that we remember. It’s moments like these that help us see just how precious life is and how truly lucky we are to have the opportunity to give glory and praise to God Almighty and spend Time With Him. So let us not forget to appreciate and thank Him in every moment, especially those we take for granted.
Romans 12:2 – New International Version
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
To Be Continued …
Coming Soon – Revised Edition Part Five
Willie Torres Jr.
07/24/2025
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