I have officially been back in Ohio for two weeks now, and much of that time has been spent in reflection of what God taught me during the three months devoted to my relationship with Him in Colorado. He challenged me and grew me, and allowed me to get to know Him in a more intimate way.
The summer was filled with many firsts; first time practicing evangelism, first time leading a lifegroup, first time hiking a mountain, first time seeing elk and moose, first time being with intentional with sharing the gospel, first time answering very challenging questions to non-believers about Christianity, and so many others. The big takeaway from the summer though was learning about the extent of God’s love. On one of the first days of LT I was sitting by the river and it just hit me how God’s love is perfect. The love by those around me is not perfect as humans will always fail, but God’s love never fails and is flawless. Throughout the summer, I continued to experience His love in so many ways. I would experience God’s love through seeing my favorite flowers on hikes or through absolutely breathtaking scenery, through crazy sunrises and sunsets, through relationships that I know God placed in my life for a certain purpose, through affirmation from friends, through seeing God do big things in others’ lives, to consistently learning to put my trust in Him. Through experiencing God’s love constantly, I learned about how God is intentional. Every action and relationship is purposeful and is no mistake.
One of the ways I experience God the most is through reading scripture. When reading 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel God’s love hit me in the reality of how much he loves us to sacrifice His own son. I think of parents today who would do anything to protect their children even if it meant risking their own lives, which really hits home into how big of a sacrifice Jesus dying on the cross really was. Through 1 Kings and 2 Kings God taught me a lot about how he seeks justice and is faithful through His power.
Another aspect in my life God exposed is how my expectations of Him are often limited. I learned that it is okay to ask God for anything even if it might not actually be in His will. I can’t let fear get in the way of my relationship with Him. I also can’t expect God to deliver something that I haven’t prayed about or asked for. I also felt reassured in my future realizing that my spiritual gifts match the qualities that I would expect a physical therapist to have.
God has been showing me consistently that he will provide. Recently I have been beyond blessed with acts of kindness that people have shown me. I was nervous to support raise for Colorado, but God proved faithful and I was able to raise enough support. Coming back to Ohio some family members paid to have some things fixed on my car to make sure it was safe to take back to college and helped me with gas expenses, another person gave me some very nice clothes for free, and one of my friends paid for my $160 textbook. My reaction was that I didn’t deserve any of it, and I was completely blown away by the kindness I experienced. I was worried about some of those things, but God provided for my needs just as He always does.
God’s love is unconditional, no matter what I do. His love never fails and is constant. He always pursues me and demonstrates His love just like a lover. His love is in fact relentless….
Faith in the Unseen 