Trust and a Kitchen Table

On Sunday Marc Cockerham gave his story in church, along with Lindsay and Gail. They all were really brave to get up in front of the church and tell about their less than perfect lives. Something that stood out from Marc's story to me was that he said this, "If I let God be in control of my life, what will he allow to happen." I think that that is a question that we as finite creatures ask. We can't see the future, we are afraid to trust in God. It's not safe to trust in a God that is not one of your creation. In "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", I think C.S. Lewis says it best, God is not safe, but He's good. Sometimes though, it's hard to see God's goodness cause we get bogged down by looking around us at the world.

This morning, I was reading in Hosea, as I have been doing, and every time I read though there is this one verse that just stands out so much to me. Hosea 11:8, "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within me; My sympathy is stirred." God's love for us is so...big. He lays out this entire case against Israel, how they've sinned and turned their backs on Him, and then he begins talking about how He loved Israel as a child, how He taught Ephraim how to walk, and He says again how they are backsliding people and then this verse, this question. How can I give you up?
That is some intense love.

And it is with that in mind that we can revisit Marc's question of, "If I let God be in control of my life, what will He allow to happen?" I don't know what He will allow to happen, but I know that I am deeply loved and from that I can take courage that whatever happens, was permitted by a God who loves me dearly and I can trust that in the end, somehow it will be for the betterment of my soul and His Kingdom.

Let's shift gears here. I think that there are two things that I think are very important to a house. When I grow up and get a house, I think that having a porch is imperative. (if we're really going to dream big, I think a screened in porch would be the most delightful thing ever.) If you have a porch then you can sit there and invite people up, or talk to people that are passing. A porch is relational. I have also decided that the kitchen table is the most important piece of furniture in the house. Just think of all the good things that happen around a kitchen table, eating being one of them. That was completely random but I'd been thinking about it.

Here's something else I've been thinking about. Last night a friend and I went to watch her Dad play softball in Glenwood. I was completely comfortable, felt absolutely safe and at home. I didn't even think about how she felt. When we left, there were some people from the neighborhood watching the game. I made the comment that they were watching some white people play some ball. She laughed and said, "Well that's good. Then they'll know it's a church group..." In my mind I began to process through this. I didn't know what to say. That's not the way I'd viewed it all. To me, it seemed like just another bunch of middle class families, using their park and then leaving, church group or not. They had no interest in the neighborhood, or the going ons there, they just wanted to play ball and leave, hoping that they wouldn't run into any of the Glenwood inhabitants, hoping their cars wouldn't get broken into, hoping nothing dangerous would happen. My friend then proceeded to talk about how she didn't feel safe and how I needed to be careful staying at Dayna's this week. I just felt really, really sad. People are afraid to drive through Glenwood because they've never interacted with the people that live there. They've only heard stories. Glenwood isn't a good neighborhood, but it is full of beautiful people and wonderful families, just like any other neighborhood. But wait, you say, Glenwood is also full of crack houses, and prostitutes. You're crazy to think that your neighborhood doesn't. Maybe not like that, but you are not safe anywhere, because people are everywhere and people are sinful. The crazy thing is that this goes back to what will God allow to happen to you, if you are following Him. If something happens to me because I am following God and loving people in Glenwood, then he allowed it to happen and He will provide for those it effects.




current time: 12:13
currently listening to: the everybodyfields