Rekindling my Faith

I've had a couple of things happen in my life this past week that have helped me to rekindle my faith, and I'd like to share them with you.

Last night Vicki and I watched the movie Fireproof after putting Jasmine to bed, and I have to say it is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Before you call me crazy, I'm not talking about the acting because that particular aspect leaves a lot to be desired. I'm talking about the storyline and the point the movie is trying to make. It's a movie not only about "fireproofing" your marriage but also about what love is all about and how Jesus is the ultimate example of that love. In fact, He is the only example of the kind of love we all need to express and live out for our spouses. Being reminded of how much God loves me despite the fact that I reject Him every day in one way or another was much needed in my life.

I also received a forwarded email containing a devotional written by Rick Warren about why so often good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. The key Bible verse in the devotional is, "[God] causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong." Matthew 5:45 (NCV). This devotional encourages me because it goes against the foundation upon which I had always based my life. This verse encourages me because it tells me that even when seemingly undeserved terrible things happen in my life or anyone else's, it's not because I've not been good enough or am being punished for some reason. It's because life doesn't show favoritism. God allows things to happen to everyone. As to the question of why, God has his reasons which my finite human mind can't even begin to understand. God is God, and that's about the best answer I'm probably going to get. As long as I know He loves me, that's got to be good enough for me.

I started reaching out to others this past week. It seems like in my darkest hours of need, I've always felt like God went silent on me. In reality, however, I think I wasn't seeing Him all around me. I was closing Him out of my life by closing myself off from life and from the people around me. I know it's funny, but I always expected God to speak to me physically like in the movie Bruce Almighty, and when He didn't I became extremely angry with Him. I actually believed God, the creator of the universe, should talk directly to me. Now don't get me wrong. I know He can if He so chooses to, but I think God's desire and plan is to speak to me through others. No wonder I could never hear anything in those dark times!

It feels really good to be writing a blog entry that I can come away from feeling like something I said might have encouraged someone else. The events of this week have certainly encouraged me, and I hope they do you as well.

God bless,

Aaron