Once again, I am a day late and a dollar short for In Other Words Tuesday. But I REALLY didn't want to let this one go by.. Just in case you can't read the quote above:
“What I believe is so magnificent, so glorious, that it is beyond finite comprehension. To believe that the universe was created by a purposeful, benign Creator is one thing. To believe that this Creator took on human vesture, accepted death and mortality, was tempted, betrayed, broken, and all for love of us, defies reason. It is so wild that it terrifies some Christians who try to dogmatize their fear by lashing out at other Christians, because tidy Christianity with all answers given is easier than one which reaches out to the wild wonder of God’s love, a love we don’t even have to earn.” ~Madeline L'engle
So, in case you haven' t figured it out, I believe what is stated above. And yes, I have a very hard time wrapping my brain around all of the implications in that statement. I KNOW that God loves us. I KNOW that by His Grace that is GIVEN to us, I don't have to earn it. All God desires is relationship with us. And it IS terrifying.
One of the main themes on my blog lately has been trusting in God. How can I NOT trust a God who "took on human vesture, accepted death and mortality, was tempted, betrayed, broken, and all for love of us"? I mean, seriously, if God is willing to go through all of that, hasn't he already illustrated that he has my BEST at heart? Lots of people get hung up on tragedy. If God is so good and loves us so much, why do babies die, people get cancer, etc. Honestly, I don't have a pat answer for that. I wish I did! I know that question can be a huge stumbling block for some. I struggle myself recently. Honestly, I occasionally struggled before losing Seth.
I think about how much I love my children. I would do anything for them. And that love, overwhelming as it can be, doesn't even compare to the love God has for me. However, negative things do happen to my children. I can not protect them from every hurt & injury in the world. I don't know that I would want to if I could. When Kayleigh runs the water until it's hot and sticks her finger under it, and it hurts, she learns not to do it next time. And she learns to trust me when I say, "Don't do that". The fact that a negative has happened, doesn't diminish my love for her..
The negatives in my life don't diminish the fact that God loves me. The truth is I live in a fallen world. Sin exists here. Bad things happen. And God loves me. He proves it by sending His only Son to take on human form, and die for me. For ME. For YOU. Really, what more do we need?
To get other people's take on this quote, visit Patricia at Typing One Handed.
3 comments:
Thank you for sharing.
I'm having a hard time right now. I know the things you are speaking of, yet i struggle. I'm not caught up in the "why do babies die" or similar issues. It just seems to me that God is ineffective. I know this is largely because i don't understand.
Our pastor talks of when Abram said to God, "What good are you if i don't have a son?" Part of me feels that way right now. I know i'll get over it, but it is a struggle right now.
I love Madeline L'Engle's books. I'd not heard of her for some time now. She used to be "Writer in Residence" for one of the magazines i got. So i did the search & learned she died in 2007. I had missed that news somehow.
Thank you, as always, for sharing.
Hard questions. . . I know God loves me, too. I believe He allows us to experience the effects of living in a mortal world because it is the only way for us to grow and learn all that we need to learn. If we shielded our own children from every trial, every hard experience, we would stunt their growth and keep them from reaching their full potential. I have to trust that He knows what He is doing, and that His promises are sure--the blessings He has in store for me in the next life will far outweigh the trials I experience in this one.
Hope you're doing ok. :)
thanks for stopping by my site, and for your kind comments. I challenging myself with the IOWs each week. This was a difficult one.
These are tough times, with hard questions, but God has all the answers. Let's press on and trust Him for all
I will check in with this week too
Thanks for sharing
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