God is Everywhere

I have missed portraits of God around me because I have stopped looking. As I look around me, God is beginning to show me examples and portraits of Himself everywhere. For example:

Marriage - I know that I said I was going to post my thoughts on this matter in about a week or so, but I cannot wait. Marriage is an incredible picture of our relationship with God. So often, we approach our relationship to God with a formula, a series of steps, an empty dry approach to "knowing" God. If I approached my wife n the same way, I would get slapped. A marriage is a relationship in which you get to know each other through experiencing life together. The same is true of God. I would never know God as well as I do if it were not for the circumstances of life that I have gone through. I would not get to know God better without going through a variety of circumstances both good and bad. Marriage is supposed to be a daily reminder our how we are to approach God, how we are to know God. It is to be a picture of our responsibility and role of relating to God. Yet, I miss this every day.

Adoption - An incredible picture of what God has done for us. Yet, when I look at adoption, I am not reminded of what God has done for me. I simply see a practice established in order to help needy children. God wants this to be a picture of what He has done for me as His child. He has taken me from the depth of despair, depravity, sin, and hopelessness and clothed me with the finest garments of righteousness, wiping away my guilt, my sin, my deserved punishment. If He had stopped there, it would be been enough. But no, He went on to prepare a place for me in His mansion in Heaven and to make me a co-heir with Christ, His Son, who died in my place. No way! There is no way that I deserve that kind of treatment. I pray that I never look at adoption again. Perhaps I will even consider adoption for my fourth child in order to keep this reminder in front of me.

Children - What an incredible picture. As I go through each day, I look at what my children put me through! :) I even commented the other day that I now understand what I put my parents through. On a much grander scale, I now am beginning to understand but I put my Heavenly Father through on a daily basis. I am nothing more than a mere immature child at heart. But, as I parent and love my kids, I am reminded of God's love and faithfulness to me. Children are to be a constant reminder of our relationship to God. How often I miss this.

Nature - As I watch the animals eat and thrive. As I watch the rain feed the earth. As I watch crops being harvested. As I watch the storms blow. All of it, is a reminder to me of how powerful and in control God is. How often I am driving down the road and fail to notice God. How often I watch the storms amazed at its power and fail to credit God with the glory. How often I miss God.

All of life truly is about God. From beginning to end. Nothing else matters. Everything points to God and to God alone. Why do I fail to see this? Why do I refuse to credit God where He is due? Why do I not see? God forgive me. Open my eyes to see and my heart to receive. Paint me a vivid and clear picture of you that will forever be burned on my heart!