Reality Sinking In

This has been a week of reality in all its measures for me.

The joy of successful work, excitement about God, the treat of being among much of my college community, the homecoming of a housemate, new life.

The stomach pains, the stink of death around those close to me, the stresses upon stresses of work, the wearing-off of the novelty of this town, facing my beliefs through the end of the barrel of another's.

I feel as though I'm experiencing just about every aspect of life at once.  Life, death, family, community, loneliness, home, homesickness, healing, sickness.  All of it, all in it's complex-confused glory.

And then I read this great article on Relevant on the reality of our relationship about God.  Just as I've been thinking about ow complicated life is, ow life isn't just "good," and isn't just "bad," and it's certainly not "inbetween," this article hit home.  Here's the past that it me most:

"These ideas are not opposed and...they must be understood together. I must see myself as clay under the hand of an artist or I won’t approach God with the complete reverence He deserves. But I must also see myself as a child or I won’t enter into the safety of His love to receive the gifts He offers. I must see myself as a servant or I will not serve anyone but myself. But I must also see myself as a friend of God or I won’t trust Him. I must see myself as a sheep or I may refuse to follow. But I must also see myself as the bride or I will miss the celebration."


Leave it to God to make my life into an object lesson, and I praise Him for that.  Without it - this would feel like a terribly worthless week.  I am far from believing that He caused everything that's happening - but boy has he turned these circumstances into something beautiful.  Something that can make me understand.


Life is complex.  And ya, so is our relationship with God.  It's a mixed bag, it's the world we live in.


The complexity in life is not good, or bad, or inbetween.  It's just the reality.


Good thing the complexity of God is good, is beautiful, is far less confused, if not less confusing.