Faithfulness

It would seem that there is a theme of “God’s faithfulness” that is presenting itself as though it were a race car on a track continuing to go around again, and again. Continually this is how God has been at work in my life. He tends to bring things around again, and again, until finally, I realize that it is He who is actually speaking to me.

Eventually, when I realize that God is trying to reach me in the most obvious way possible, I often think about a passage in Psalms. The book talks about the moon, and the stars that are placed in the heavens, and then it finally comes to the point of, “but what is man that you are mindful of him?” Who am I, Lord, that you are mindful of me? The entire universe is in your command and control, and yet, you take an interest in my day to day life. How often do I only think about how God is in my life? Or how God is only paying attention to the details that I often struggle with?

This past semester I realized that God is many things – including faithfulness. This week has been a huge challenge. There were times when my heart sank and I could do nothing else but just cry out to the Lord. On Monday, we had our regular student life staff meeting and something different happened. Our Vice-President shared parts of her life journey with the Lord in a reflection she had written. I was reminded that God is not only faithful in my life, but in the lives of so many others. I listened intently to many voices around the table about God, and where He has been in their life throughout the years. God has and always will be an active part in the lives of people. Sometimes as a Christian I think that God is only faithful in the lives of his “followers”. Yet, the more I have experienced, the more I realize that this is of course not the case. I have come to see that God is faithful in the life of every person; it just looks differently with each one.

Yesterday, I lost a friend to cancer. I thought about God’s faithfulness, and where was it in her situation. It didn’t take long before I realized that the fact that God was with her during the entire process shows me that his faithfulness was there. Knowing that she had the opportunity to know him, and that she chose to know him, proves to me that God was pursuing her, and taking a journey with her as well. Her journey was unique, it looked different, but still, He was faithful. Due to His faithfulness, she is now with the one who loves her most, who pursued her while she was here, and guided her life from the moment she declared that she was truly his. This of course will not take away the sorrow and sadness that many of us now feel. The hurt, anger, and confusion that I know many, including myself are dealing with. Yet in some way, understanding that there is no more pain, no more tears for her brings an odd comfort. He is with her, and she is with Him, and that has been his plan of faithfulness for her life -- and ultimately her reward for faithfulness to Him.

The faithfulness of God is odd, confusing, and still remains an attribute of the Lord I will never overlook. I suppose it is impossible to do so simply because He tends to remind me of it each time I seem to forget that he is really there.

“For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.” Psalm 117:2