God as a Friend?

Typically, I hate that analogy.

God is our Creator, Father in Heaven, Savior, and Holy Spirit that lives in us.

To reduce all of that to "friend" seems a like it really misses the point.

However, I heard some great perspective from the evening service tonight at church. I've worked with the high school youth group for almost six years now and I was reminded one of the greatest reasons why: we grow as Christians together (in the soil of HOPE, as Trygve taught me some years ago while I was a student at Hope College).

The youth group just arrived home from their missions trip, serving at camp, and one of the offered some incredible perspective on how God is ACTUALLY our friend.

*Paraphrased*

"I've always known that God loves me and that He's my Savior and King. That part I've always understood and made sense to me. What really got me is how incredibly personal He is, like a REAL friend. I've never really understood until now and it's incredible."

We were told that this was an incredible (and emotional) discussion and I loved hearing about it. I don't like the idea of reducing God simply to a friend, but when it's put in the perspective of that close friend who gets you on the deepest level and loves you like another family member (as opposed to acquaintances that we might label "friend" but not really truthfully)... that I certainly agree with.

Proud as can be of these kids. Looking forward to the rest of summer and what it holds with them.

Over My Head

Great thoughts from the guys in Starfield (not my work at all)

The wonder of all You've made,
Foundations Your hands have laid,
Bringing me back to my knees, to my knees...

I'm lost for the words to say,
Lost for another way,
Bringing me back to my knees, to my knees.
I'm lost for the words to say,
Lost for another way,
Ruined for anything other than Your love.

I'm desperate to know You, Lord,
Desperate for what's in store,
Finding my hope in only You, in only You.
Take me beyond this door,
Lead me to something more,
Open my heart up for more of You, more of You

From a Friend

I received an e-mail tonight from a friend; a very close friend.

He shared some wisdom that hit me between the eyes in the best way possible.

"...when I am serving or thinking about others and not myself, I am filled up with God's peace and joy and those things actually benefit me, my heart, my soul. I don't want to waste my time here by living selfishly in a way that is neither beneficial or constructive to me or God's kingdom."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

What an awesome goal.

Reawakening

I haven't written in forever, and I have missed it a ton. Here's to hopefully more regular postings, whether anyone else besides me reads these or not.

I loved writing about life happenings and life musings and include the occasional weird side posts. When I looked back over four years' worth of college journals, it was truly fascinating (and cringe-worthy) to see how my writing gradually evolved, though. But I digress.

As I look to start writing more regularly, I can't help but think of one of the consistent themes that I wrote on a lot while at Hope: community & prayer. I look back on my four years and some of the most profound were the late nights with the Bible Studs as a group or meeting with one or two of them about whatever, small talk or deep, whether prayer was involved or not.

I'm reading Following Jesus in the Real World right now (among the prodigious list of things on my reading list, which I'll never clear, especially at this rate - I am a poster child of 積ん読 tsundoku, it seems). Although I've been out of school for six years now, some of the stuff Richard Lamb talks about really have been hitting home really hard, notably finding the balance of community with work and how we often come to value that so highly in college and then having to figure it all out again after. I admittedly predicted I wouldn't have much to figure out after moving home after college. I knew everyone, or most everyone! Having eventually finding a good job where I grew up after working at camp for five years, I'm fairly settled now back at home, but this particular issue has been a major surprise. I definitely have been fighting this very thing myself after starting at my new work. I truly enjoy my job and learning so much, but I can see it's challenging figuring out the simple fact of fitting in everything that matters with a job even five months later hasn't been easy.

But back to the community and prayer aspect. I was reminded of last weekend while visiting Ross last weekend. He and I are still both pretty fresh out of college and Ross is even newer at his job than I am and works even more hours than I do. That takes some courage to even work the kind of nutty schedule he has. Yet in our talking, I was duly impressed with how he's made it his business to find time for things that matter to him, one big one becoming involved with Ada Bible Church's music ministry and young adults ministry (UNION), playing music on his own again and being in the Word. I can't visit Ross nearly as often as I would like, but being reminded of that, not to mention seeing my best bud, was something I badly needed, especially after a major transition very late last year.

As for more recently, I experienced that a bit more deeply this past week both at work and with Nate this past week. Although I can't write much about this, I am reminded of a few things. Obviously, I can't recreate my Hope years of living closely among 3200 others and having my friends all within five to ten minutes' walk or drive away and available at the drop of a hat for most anything. Those four years were difficult, but some of the best I could have asked for.

That all said, the relationships and community we share in various arenas, both inside the church and outside and how we all minister to one another (and are ministered to in return) in ways we might never know except in ways God provides very quickly are still just as vital and significant now.

I haven't had such a deeply, personally incredible week in a long time.