Everywhere

A friend of ours started a book club for all of us book lovers. We are reading through the 25 Books Every Christian Should Read list. Being the future minded person he is, he mapped out reading the whole list with us meeting once a month, it should take about 9 years. I have been so excited to join it, I love reading and the books on the list are ones I would enjoy but need that extra push to do it. The first book we read is On The Incarnation by St. Athanasius. I have enjoyed it so much, here is a quote that has stuck with me

"Human and human minded as men were, therefore, to whichever side they looked in the sensible world they found themselves taught the truth. Were they awe-stricken by creation? They beheld it confessing Christ as Lord. Did their minds tend to regard men as Gods? The uniqueness of the Savior's works marked Him, alone of men, as Son of God. Were they drawn to evil spirits? They saw them driven out by the Lord and learned that the Word of God alone was God and that the evil spirits were not gods at all. Were they inclined to hero-worship and the cult of the dead? Then the fact that the Savior had risen from the dead showed them how false these other deities were, and that the Word of the Father is the one true Lord, the Lord even of death. For this reason was He both born and manifested as Man, for this He died and rose, in order that, eclipsing by His works all other human deeds, He might recall men from all the paths of error to know the Father. As He says Himself, 'I came to seek and to save that which was lost.'" St. Athanasius On the Incarnation

This quote hit me, and ever since reading it God keeps bringing it to mind. The first image that came to my mind was being a student in school. There are so many ways people learn but unfortunately schools usually only teach one way. If you don't learn that way, tough, you have to figure out how to understand it, it's up to you. Many struggle with this, it's the kid who you have talked to and you know they are smart, the way they creatively view the world and yet struggle to maintain a c average. The way the school system works, just doesn't work for them.

I think many of us think of the gospel in the same way. God loves us and died for us because we are sinners, all true but someone who thinks they are a good person are not going to be won over to God by this statement. But there is some aspect of who God is and His story that will. Our staff team lead a workshop recently at the Navigators National conference, we talked about each of our unique stories and also our unique brokenness.

I personally struggle with being shy, to someone who doesn't have that struggle, they in no way understand how hard it is for me to enter in to a new situation. Someone who is not shy will often tell a shy person to "suck it up", "its not so bad" and other such comments because for them, it's not a struggle. However there are things that are hard for them, maybe they hate being alone in silence. Or maybe they care so much about others opinions of them they spend an hour every day fixing their make up. I don't know what your struggle is, I can't always sympathize. But God can.

God is in control, He made the world and it's all in His hands, He did this so we can take our Sabbath rest. We can rest knowing He is still at the wheel, He is still working it all for His good. God is perfect so we don't have to be, He is working the change in us, forming us to be more in His image. He is the healer, He is the savior, He is the sacrifice, He is the conqueror of death. We can work and try all we won't but He is the one who can do all these things, He is in control. All God asks of us is to just rest in His presence. Such an easy thing and yet we fight it at every turn.

Whatever your struggle, whatever earthly thing you turn to and worship instead of God, bring it before Him because He has something so much better to fill that spot.

Recently I had wondered over my strong like for the Harry Potter books (yes I am a nerd). I would think over the stories, have read the books numerous times and every time I see the movie want to read them again. I asked myself, why do I obsess so much? What is going on here? Recently I have realized I am drawn to those stories because of the gospel message in it. No they are not written for that purpose but that doesn't mean God won't use it to reach me. This may seem silly to you or not make sense. But there are gospel themes all around us. Harry Potter is about a boy who's mother loved him so much that she sacrificed her life to save him. A boy who again and again puts his life in danger for his friends, for his community. In case you haven't read it, I don't want to give to much away but again and again in the books there is the idea of death for a friend, life after death, sacrifice, redemption because of love and so on. If you want ask me about it, I'm more then willing to talk about it.

It's not just movies, you can find the gospel in books, movies, music and in your own life stories.

I apologize if I'm rambling, I hope this makes some sense, feel free to talk to me or ask me questions. This has been a topic our staff has been talking about and I have been thinking about for awhile. God is present, He wants to reach you right where you are at. No one is outside His reach. God made us each unique individuals, there are no surprises for Him. We just need to slow down and sit in God's presence, you will be surprised what He use to teach you about Himself.

"For the Lord touched all parts of creation, and freed and undeceived them all from every deceit. As St. Paul says, 'Having put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, He triumphed on the cross,' so that no one could possibly be any longer deceived, but everywhere might find the very Word of God."