In Hot Pursuit of God

With Christmas rapidly approaching, and now finding myself engrossed in plumbing repairs that are approaching $2500, it's easy to look at God as my own personal Santa.

Let me clue you in on a piece of information. God's last name is NOT Kringle. He doesn't wear a red suit and he doesn't exist for me to call on when things are going bad in my life. You see, for most of my adult life I have treated God just like a mall Santa. If things were going my way, I rarely called on him. When my wife was hit with a stroke two years ago, I cried and partially blamed him for letting that happen. Then, in the same calendar year, that December my youngest daughter went into diabetic coma and should've died. For four, agonizingly painful days, I saw little hope and felt my heart grow darker each day. It took the fourth day of her coma for me to bottom out and give her back to God. She awoke and right then and there I came to an understanding that God is God and I am not.

As I sat and pondered my plumbing woes this afternoon, something hit me. My wife has really struggled with faith issues these last two years. She's a victim of sexual abuse when she was a child, then endured a stroke, and went through watching her daughter almost die. Every time we have another health issue or financial setback, it's easy for her to take it out on God. What struck me today, and God discusses this concept over and over again in the Bible, (depending on your translation) is that I really am in a marriage relationship with the Lord.

For better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health, no matter what, I am his and he loves me in spite of my shortcomings. In our society, given the wretchedly horrible numbers of divorced in America, most people seem to have selective hearing when it comes to vows. They only hear better, richer, and health. When it comes to worse, poorer, and sickness it's time to throw up their hands and quit.

There's a great quote in the movie, "Facing the Giants" in which the head coach is calling his team to aspire to something greater as they had lost some key games. He tells them, "We praise him [God] when it's good and praise him when it's bad." How apropos!

I'm in a covenant relationship with God, just as Abraham was. Even when things are bad, I give praise to God. At least I have a home that has plumbing. I have a nice vehicle, a job, two healthy kids, and a tremendously faithful wife that I DO NOT deserve! God never promised sunshine, flowers, and rainbows. He did promise Adam life would be hard after he banished him from the Garden.

So, as I'm faced with my own personal "giants," I will praise him in good times and bad, better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and in health 'til death do I join him in all eternal splendor.

My life is a journey and like the LAPD on Cops, I'm in hot pursuit...of God.

That's my confession. What's yours?

May God bless you!!!



TFR