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Saturday, September 6, 2008

In All Ways...

God is faithful.

There is not a doubt in my mind that He is faithful. To the core. In every way. Beyond what our human minds can fathom.

But, what does God's faithfulness look like?

I work at a small Christian college. I love it there. We have staff prayer meetings every Wednesday. We pray for each other, for students, and for the school as a whole. It warms my heart to walk down to the staff room mid-week, in anticipation of meeting God with my colleagues. Last week, the financial staff presented their year-end report, filled with good news of surpluses and donations-a-plenty (that should be the name of a church carnival ride!). The comment was made:

"God has been faithful. He has answered our prayers and we've met our budget."

Would God have been UNfaithful had the last pig-farming alumnus not sold 300 sow at auction, and donated 10% of the profits to the school, buoying us into the black?

I struggle with the constant connection of God's faithfulness to solely good things. Because the alternative means that God is UNfaithful in the bad things.

Of course, this is a very real contemplation in my ever-rambling mind. Every fiber of my being needs to believe that God was faithful when my waters broke at 33 weeks. Every part of my soul needs to trust that God was faithful during those seconds that Ellie was having her stroke. Every last inch of my heart needs to hold to the promise that God was faithful when He decided that I should be Ellie's mom.

Of course, we should be all-consumed with gratitude when God's faithfulness is showcased in the good things.

He HAS been faithful in providing donors to our school.

He HAS been faithful in opening every possible door for Richie, Ellie and I to move to the *right* place at the *right* time (just a little plug to inform you that I'm over my "grass is greener" syndrome from last post!).

He HAS been faithful in leading us to amazing doctors and therapists and daycare providers and babysitters, who have all contributed to Ellie's overall awesomeness.

I am so very thankful that God is faithful in the happy things and the gratitude and joy I feel when I praise Him for the good is what carries me through the bad.

But, His faithfulness is so much deeper, wider and more profound than to be confined to the good times. I don't for one second think that God orchestrates the bad (that topic needs a post on its own!), but I unabashedly believe that His faithfulness then endures. He is faithful when I ask Him why He's not. He is faithful when I feel He's turned His back. He is faithful when I want nothing to do with His faithfulness.

I'd love to see a terminology revolution. I'm not talking about the stupidness of "The Artist Formally Known As Prince" or the garbage collector changing her title to "Sanitation Engineer". I'm talking about saying something like this:

God is faithful. We haven't met our budget, and a part of me feels as though our prayers weren't answered. BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL.

God is faithful. I don't know why He allowed Ellie's brain to bleed, and it hurts my heart every time I think of it. BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL.

"He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God Who does no wrong, upright and just is He."
Deuteronomy 32:4

2 comments:

my life: said...

That is so lovely and....so true. I have been constantly reminded of this. I applaud you for writing it so beautifully!

Sunny said...

Oh He is so faithful. I was reminded if we don't have children, God would still remain Lord and always be faithful. We just have to believe it.