Our devotional this month, or however long it takes us to read, is, The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel.
This morning I was reading the chapter,
Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot…
and found a familiar theme I’ve meditated on before.
How do I deal with crises large and small?
How do I get through my day after reading about torture and war, starvation and abuse, terrorism and trafficking?
I have faith that God knows what He is doing.
I do?
In my heart perhaps but my head and reason gets in the way.
Faith for me means that during my short life on earth God is there, somewhere, somehow, with me,
An okra flower
always,
whether I have questions about his presence when things get ugly, or doubts about His love.
I have faith that God has a plan and His picture is way bigger than mine.
My faith demands that I yield the wheel even when I think I know better!
I remember the difficult times I’ve already had in my life and the saving grace of His breath upon my cheek; I use them to strengthen me, to shape me, to transform me into a woman of faith…when I take a moment in my struggles to think about it.
I commend my problems to God’s keeping and entreat Him to intercede for me; to heal a sick friend, to pave the way for an awkward conversation with a child, to ease the worry of new responsibilities, to give me the inspiration to write… when I’m feeling overwhelmed and have no-where else to turn.
I pray in a quiet place where I can take refuge from the clamour of my thoughts; I ask Him for courage to move forward, empathy to do the right thing, wisdom to understand, patience …when my head is fit to explode.
I try to recall those times when I invited God to take charge,
when I shifted comfortably in His embrace,
when I surrendered without restraint.
But first, of course, I find myself shouldering my burdens, believing I’m tough, standing on my own two feet, toughing it out…
Succulents in Daughts’ garden
It’s my life, I know best, I’ve been there before.
My heart overflows with what it knows is good for me but my ego won’t stand down.
I become embittered as I twist and fold my stomach into ever tightening knots.
I am too invested in controlling my world.
Who’s world?
Nothing on earth should eclipse God’s omniscient glory.
I intend to have faith that all the suffering I hear of in the world, the dark side of our humanity, along with the beauty and good times, the uplifting moments, will be knit together into a tapestry that only God can make sense of.
Purslane, turning its face to the sun
God is a loving God, He is not the author of evil and suffering, we are.
As evil and suffering exist as proof of our humanity, so does free choice,
given by a loving God.
I fix my eyes on the cross where Jesus died, a gift freely given at a high cost,
and by seeking the face of God in the midst of my pain I allow my faith to pull ahead just enough to win the race.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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