The whole entire summer was full of learning about the different characteristics of God and who He truly is. It’s crazy to think that all 20 years of my life I have only known part of what makes God the incredibly large and immensely intentional God that He really is. Although I have learned literally hundreds of truths about our Creator, I am only going to elaborate on one due to the amount of time I have to do this.
An essential quality that I never knew about my God until this summer was seeing Him as a pursuer. Yeah, I knew God was my Heavenly Father, my provider, my protector, and my friend, but not once did I think of God as a lover or someone who pursued me. With that, it’s not like some middle school boyfriend that likes and “pursues” the girl in his homeroom class, but a God who is so madly in love with me (Jeremiah 31:3), enthralled with my beauty (Psalm 45:11), and knows every tiny thing about me (Psalm 139:1) yet still chooses to relentlessly pursue me. Man, what a life changing realization! The cool thing is that God’s pursuit did not start this summer when I started acknowledging it, but it started way before I was even born (Jeremiah 1:4). That’s crazy. God fixed my eyes on Him in such a new way this summer that it almost feels like I’ve been blind for all 20 years of my life.
With an elevated perspective from the Lord, I started to acknowledging little details and gifts God put in my day specifically for me. One example in particular sticks out to me and it is too sweet of a gift from God not to share it. One day in Nairobi, we made a road trip up to an orphanage in the Kinangop area started by a couple from Texas. We were there to meet them and see how they ran things instead of hanging out with the children because they were busy with school. At the end of our awesome tour of Naomi’s Village we went into the dining room to say our goodbye’s to the staff and to say hello to the kids quickly before we left. God, knowing my heart and desiring to give me the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4), knows that nothing makes me happier than simply hugging and loving on kids, African kids in particular. The second I walked in the room, a boy with the biggest smile and tons of bracelets on his arm ran and jumped into my arms. He told me his name was Kevin and asked me what my name was. That was the extent of our conversation, but he didn’t get out of my arms until I walked out of the door. God just lavished His love on me through Kevin that day in such a tender way that I will never forget how near He felt to me. Simply because it is His desire to do so (1 John 3:1). That is only one example of how our insanely cool God showed me that He wants to by my everything, not just my Father, and that nothing will every separate me from His love. (Romans 8:38)
I know it's not much a blog, but God is faithful. Man, He is faithful! It's cool being here in Birmingham, Alabama almost two months after my encounter with Kevin and seeing the growth that God has down in my heart since then. God continues to woo me every single day so I only become more in love with Him. I'm giddy right now as I type this. Everyday is filled with God winks specifically for me. I am loved by the King.
Next week, I am going to return to my regular thankfulness blogging routine, but since I'm already off schedule right now I'm just going to list 5ways God has been faithful TODAY.
1. This morning God was faithful in allowing me to spend quality time with Him without being bogged down with homework, hanging out with friends, or anything else. Just me simply being romanced by His word and silence.
2. Hebrews 10:23. God was faithful in giving me clarity. Phil. 1:6. He who promised is faithful.
3. God is faithful every single day in giving me community. Authentic, deep community.
4. 1 Thess. 5:23-24. He is also faithful in the constant process of sanctification. Faithful in peeling back and destroying layers of ME and shaping me more into the likeness of Jesus.
5. God continues to remind me of the work He is doing in Kenya. He gives me different visions, thoughts, memories, and names everyday to pray for. He will be faithful to complete what he has started. Phil. 1.6
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is FAITHFUL." Hebrews 10:23
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1:6
"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it." 1 Thess. 5:23-24
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