Have you ever took up your life, forgone the seatbelt and purposely crashed into a wall?
Metaphorically speaking. …I believe we all have at times.
You see, unwise decisions and habitual sin lead to devastation.
Injury.
Death.
And, I have done it myself, speeding along at my will, wrecking my life, and all the while God is watching and allowing me to be wounded by my carelessness.
For example, I’m a writer, and I have many pieces that I’ve written that have not been shared. Many are too personal and many are simply waiting to be finished. Many are finished and the timing isn’t right.
Whatever the reason, when I read over them, I am remembering the WHY of why I wrote them. I can see them for what they are, as well. I know when they are ready and when they need work. I know when, let’s be honest, the written work is not very good. The intention and labor behind it was good, but the body needs a lot of work.
My whole point here is that God knows us and knows when we need work. He knows, probably like a writer too, that even the best piece can be better. But, at some point, the piece is just ready, and the refining will come along the way.
And I, in my humanity, can’t wrap my brain around this. I can’t comprehend how I could possibly be ready to serve him and so fallen, so imperfect and so undeserving of his attentions.
Especially, knowing that nothing is hidden from God and that on my own, my righteousness is like dirty rags…. God knows this about me, you, for we are all a people naturally bent towards rebellion.
Even more so…..
God knows us and our capacity to forget him.
Can you imagine? What if you had a spouse, and you knew that your spouse’s natural tendency was to forget you? What if you caught your spouse cheating, but it didn’t shock you because you knew it would happen?
But, what if you still loved your spouse anyway? What if you let it go at his or her own detriment, knowing all the while the damage they would do, but vowed to wait for their return, anyway?
Wouldn’t we question the sanity of the faithful spouse I just depicted? Yet, that is exactly what God is like. He is our faithful bridegroom.
We deserve divorce papers, but instead, he draws us into his will
We deserve separation, but instead he bridges the gap between heaven and hell with his own body, bent and broken on the cross for his glory and for our benefit
Yet, we continue to turn away from him; we have little indiscretions, big ones, and sometimes, we plainly forget Him.
Yet, there he is..still waiting, still faithful, and still loving us without wanting to shame us, beating us down with “I told you so’s” or making us atone for idolatry because Jesus….
Because Jesus……who left his glory in heaven to walk the roads of humanity and than later… to die for us all, even those of us who spit upon his brow with our total rebelllion. He embodies true mercy.
True mercy….
I don’t know about you, but I can’t fathom that. I don’t want to most of the time. True mercy is scandalous and makes us want to say “he doesn’t deserve it! She doesn’t deserve it.”
But,
mercy doesn’t accuse and it doesn’t follow human moral codes of justice.
Instead, it comes, undeserving and so beautiful…and
It’s for those of us, just like me and like you ….who are violently driving themselves towards their death, ready to wreck against an iron wall upon our own violation.
I see that ….
God has allowed me to be the driver to my own death. I see now that He didn’t swoop down to pull me out at certain times.
And, in light of this, I can see that God allowing me to wreck myself is one of the best gifts he has given me.
Because only in the midst of my deep forgetfulness, can I remember how MUCH I need the wonderfulness of his mercy.
God, may your mercies work miracles through me….
-A
