The Way We Are

Over the past few days, as I have had various conversations with friends, I've noticed that there are vast differences in the way everyone has grown up: family situation, relationships formed along the way, the things we have struggled with, the different things we have been involved in, and so on.

Yet despite all of these differences, God is the God of us all. He may mean specific things to each of us, but He is still the Lord of every single one of His creations (which is everyone who has ever and will ever exist, if you were wondering). He died on the cross to save every one of us from our sins. How incomprehensible is that? It blows my mind to think about how complex it is for God to keep up with all 7 billion people who live on this earth right now...He hears every single one of our prayers, He knows us better than we know ourselves, He has had the stories of each one of our lives written since the beginning of time, He is more faithful and more trustworthy and more true and more genuine than anyone we will ever come in contact with, because He created them too.

Ok back to those conversations with friends. I have never met 2 people who have had the same situation growing up...everyone has had different experiences and has been exposed to different things. I have friends who grew up in Christian homes with great family relationships and have been following the Lord since one day in Sunday school when they were 6. I also have friends who come from broken homes filled with pain and emotions that no one should ever have to deal with and have had relationships with God that ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. And, of course, everywhere in between.

That being said, I am absolutely astounded that God can take people from total opposite backgrounds and cross their paths for a while, building and growing their friendships beyond what we would have ever thought. We serve a God who can take people from their painful pasts to a place where they recognize His sovereignty, grace, love, mercy, and perpetual care for them. Only our God is worthy of all of our trust and faith...only our God can trade beauty for ashes...only our God is our shield, who protects us from the evil one every single time. He never fails.

By the way, I promise that not all of my posts will be this intense...ok, that may be a lie. :)