God's Faithfulness In Unknown Times

   

taken the last Thursday morning on campus

   
      A little over three weeks ago I was up late on a Wednesday night convincing myself to take the time to pray and complete my daily Bible reading that had been pushed off. That night in a place of discouragement I prayed for conversations about the Lord that sparked excitement. I prayed that I would be bold enough to joyously talk about the goodness of God in my everyday conversations. I prayed that I would see my faith as something to be joyful about and that it would be something to celebrate when others share in that faith.

      The next day God was so so faithful in that request. My last full day at Covenant this semester was filled with conversations about the Lord. There were countless ways that God put himself in the middle of my relationships with others that day and looking back I am brought to tears by his utter faithfulness in that. Nothing encourages me like seeing and hearing how God has been faithful in the lives around me. What a sweet way the Lord sent me off from this season.

      Over spring break I was studying the book of Esther with my friend Meagan while we were in Florida. The book of Esther is a story that never directly mentions the Lord but is screaming his sovereignty, his providence, and his faithfulness. Every day as Meagan and I would go to discuss what we had read we came back to the same thought. This passage is showing how God was specifically ordaining the time and place for these events to take place. 

      It wasn't until we were doing our reading the night we found out that campus was closed for the semester that it all kind of fell into place. We had been reading all week about God's perfect timing in the lives of Esther and his people and it became such a comfort to us. Because we know how the story of Esther ends we are able to see God's sovereignty from the beginning. And even though these next few months are a lot of unknown and we don't know how it ends, we must, like Esther trust his timing and trust that he will be faithful. Because God is always faithful.

      Even though God was so good to me that last day on campus I am deeply saddened that I am not able to go back and continue to boldly talk about God as the most important thing in my life. But there are always opportunities and I am looking forward to the extra time I will have in the coming months to spend time with him, to have conversations about him back in Cincinnati, and to intentionally use the technology I have to continue bold conversations with those that I love but will not be near to.

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      Since being home I have put a lot of thought and prayer into a way to facilitate a community through technology. My wish is to have a place where we can boldly speak of our faith in a way that encourages others. I want to find a way to continue spreading the faithfulness of God that became so clear that last Thursday on campus.

      Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while imprisoned and ended that letter with the following verses:

"Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here."

                                                                               - Colossians 4:7-9

      Even while Paul was stuck in a prison cell he was doing what he could to share how God was working. God is most definitely still working in my life and I would bet that he is working in yours as well.

      I want this blog to be more than my words and my thoughts, I want it to be a testament of God's faithfulness to his people.

      Please consider emailing me via the contact form from the sidebar of the homepage with ways God has been faithful to you during this time. It can be a sentence or a full blog post. I would love to then continue posting a collaboration of ways God has been faithful through various voices.

      I won't post your name with your response unless you indicate otherwise. I think it could be so encouraging to see how tangibly God is working. So whether you know me well or not, I would love to hear from you as a fellow brother or sister in the family of God.

"For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ."

                                                                                                                            - Colossians 2:5

today God is faithful in the sunshine and the birds chirping out my window