(I wrote the following back on March 8, 2020 but never ended up publishing it. I wanted to publish it today so I could look back to remember these thoughts I had before the pandemic and tornado hit.)
At church we have been doing a series on the attributes of God. The sermons are titled "What is God?" These messages have been encouraging and extremely challenging all at the same time. I find myself many times struggling with truly grasping who God is and more so HOW can God be redeemer, merciful, faithful, loving, kind, omniscient, omnipotent, just, fair, all at the same time. I think for our tiny human minds these things are utterly impossible for us to comprehend in the fullest. I have been extremely thankful that we are giving so many chances to get our acts together and continually be forgiven for the sin we commit. WOW! That thought alone just blows my mind.
Well when I began to think about reasons why I continually go back to Kenya, this topic came to mind: Attributes of God. Why it came to mind, you may ask? I have no idea but God works in mysterious ways! God is love. God is truth. God is just. God is faithful. God is loving. God is omniscient. God is omnipotent. God is omnipresent. God is.....this list could continue on and on. At times I find my self doubting some of these truths. Yes at times I struggle to fully understand these concept. These types of questions enter my mind: How can God be loving when children in Africa are left to die in trash bins? How can God be faithful when malaria takes the lives of millions? Despite these questions I realize that these horrible things that happen in this world are because of SIN. If we had never sinned there would be NO sickness, suffering, hate, and fear. This world would be full of peace, love, joy, and JESUS! I am so thankful that despite our failures, God NEVER fails. He is a God of second chances. He was gracious enough to allow his son to come and die on the cross for our sins. What an amazing turn of events. Without Jesus we are nothing.
My personal mission statement over the last decade has been to "Live in Light of Eternity." Well I have to admit I have failed over and over and over again at living this way. Daily, I do not live up to this expectation. However, I am thankful that God does not require perfection but instead allows progression. I am so thankful to have an understanding of my sin but most importantly my FORGIVENESS. God continually amazes me and I am so thankful that for His continuous faithfulness to me.
1 Peter 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
