believing God.

i want to share something. i rarely do this, because i rarely feel that God is talking directly to me. but last night, i felt it. well, really...this week i have felt it.

tuesday at moms-n-more, the speaker cary collins was pretty much sent there for me. she said some things that i needed to hear. and she gave a handout. which pretty much sealed the deal. because from the time i was a little girl, i've prayed, "hello God. please talk to me. i have lots of questions i need answered. and i'd be great if you'd leave me a note. maybe a fill in the blank sheet. something of the sort."

He's never done it. but He did it on tuesday. and He did it last night at bible study.

we're doing a beth moore study. believing God. if you've never done a beth moore study, let me encourage you to do one. she is amazing. i've only done one other, but i just love her. and i love to watch her. and listen to her. she's hilarious. and strong. and honest.

where to start?

okay. i've mentioned here several times that i get overwhelmed with the world. with stuff that happens. sickness, death, etc. and i haven't been able to wrap my mind around it. and the best i can do, is just pray. and continue believing that God will take care of those affected. that it will eventually make sense to me. maybe tomorrow...maybe twenty years from now. who knows.

and while i told myself that, something still wasn't clicking. like the pieces still didn't fit. it seemed crammed. or maybe lacking. i dunno.

last night beth was talking about God. and about how big He is. she said (and i'm paraphrasing), "to explain Him, we make Him common and we minimize Him."

whoa, right. common.

there is nothing common about God. and i know that. and there is nothing small about him either. i know that.

or did i? maybe i am guilty of exactly that. trying so hard to understand Him, that i've made him like me. only a better version of me. our preacher once said that we take ourselves...or maybe even the best person we know...and we make them better...and that becomes our God.

and nothing could be further from the truth.

beth said, "as we study Him, He should get bigger and bigger...not smaller and smaller."

today in the lesson, she talks about how we have all had teachers of theology. preachers, parents, sunday school teachers, friends. etc. and how we may have become victim to some of these wonderful people trying to fit God into a box. (our uncommon, gigantic God.)

she says, "no matter how many phd's a professor has or how trustworthy our parents have been about every other subject or how beautifully, intelligently or lovingly the box is decorated, God doesn't fit."

and then...the real kicker.

anything attainable by human understanding is a mere shadow of the reality.

as my friend rachel says, BAM.

this helps me sleep at night. as crazy as that sounds. this God, this gigantic, uncommon, loving God that i can't even begin to understand or wrap my mind around...this is the God who is taking of everything. this is the God that i pray to. this is the God i'm asking to care for the sick. or the cold. or the hungry.

so, today....today, i'm more aware than ever before...that this God can do anything He puts His mind to.

i'll leave you with this....

from the message. romans 1, verse 23

they traded the Glory of God who holds the whole world in His hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

may we stay away from the cheap versions of happiness. i think it's safe to say that anything bought at smitty's or any other roadside stand is pretty much junky. and probably not going to last a week.

i hope that God has spoken to you through this message. may you have a wonderful, long weekend.