Stories are an integral part of cultures
all over the world. I have been thinking
about stories recently as my news
feed on Facebook has been filled with God stories:
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*“God hears! My wallet was returned and
nothing is missing!”
“Your prayers have been answered I was
officially declared cancer free today”
“I’m engaged! You were worth waiting
for!!!”
“He opened the doors to my dream job!”*
*these are generalized and not actual quotes*
These statuses are wonderful and we
should be rejoicing with these people.
Unfortunately more often than I would care to admit my mind entertains
the comparison monster. Things such as “I have been praying for that for 20
years and he answered her prayer in 3” or “God promised me something that night
too and he hasn’t even begun to answer it. What is wrong with me? What am I doing wrong?”
The problem is all of these things are based on circumstances, not God.
I recently attended an event where men in a Teen Challenge program spoke. These men took turns sharing amazing testimonies of redemption. Finally, a man got up and began to speak about his life. He talked about the first time he was rescued from his drug addiction. After he was rescued he was diagnosed with cancer and his wife and family left him. This was years ago. The audience sat on the edge of their seats waiting for the redemptive turn in his story. He then shared that he still has cancer, he is still estranged from his family, and that God is still the same.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
I recently attended an event where men in a Teen Challenge program spoke. These men took turns sharing amazing testimonies of redemption. Finally, a man got up and began to speak about his life. He talked about the first time he was rescued from his drug addiction. After he was rescued he was diagnosed with cancer and his wife and family left him. This was years ago. The audience sat on the edge of their seats waiting for the redemptive turn in his story. He then shared that he still has cancer, he is still estranged from his family, and that God is still the same.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
Regardless of whether or not our
prayers are answered or whether or not we see redemption this side of heaven
God is still the same. God performs miracles and we need stories of
those miracles; however, as someone who spends more of their life in the desert
than the promise land I also need more stories about God being God (not just
God doing xyz). A God that is worth
worshiping and loving forever regardless of my life circumstances.
Do I still hope that I will see
redemption this side of heaven? Every. single. day. But that cannot be my focus and that is hard
for me.