Lessons

I've often wondered -- if I had been born in a different place, to different parents -- whether I'd have found God. Then the silliness of that thought makes me chuckle, as I realise that it isn't that I found God, but that He found me; He would have, regardless of time and place.

But I do think that it's through my parents that I first learned, learned most, and am still learning, about God. It's in seeing the struggles and victories that plague our (often dysfunctional) relationship(s) that I've come to better understand my relationship with God.

When I watch my dad make up his mind (and declare firmly) that he's not going to allow my sister to holiday in Thailand, only to change his mind after 0.1524 seconds of hearing her voice over the phone, it makes me realise how much more God wants to give us our hearts' desires -- how much joy it brings Him to hear us squeal in delight.

When I watch my parents' faces fall from disappointment at our failures, and how -- despite their own doubt -- they continue to encourage us, where others might put us down, it makes me realise the pain that we cause God each time we fail Him; all the times that He's called us to help others and we've turned away because it's "not convenient," or when we're too tired to pick up the Bible (but not too tired to blog). He loves us anyway -- I'm not giving up on you, God assures, even as we lose count of the number of times we've given up on ourselves, even given up on Him.

When I watch how my mom wakes up at 5 AM every morning, to make breakfast for her husband and children, when I watch how she laughs so hard when she's with us that tears just start flowing, when I feel her lips pressed against my temple for a goodnight kiss every night; It's all worth it, are the unspoken words. And God reminds me that I'm worth it, that it is this relationship -- between Him and me -- that Jesus' blood bought.

When I watch in amazement how God took a broken family and pieced it together with such gentleness, I learn that, while God answers prayers, it is my responsibility to seek God and His will for me. Some of the things that I've asked God for are simply not in His will -- to ask of them is as unreasonable as for me to ask that my parents stop loving me. And I'm glad that these ridiculous whims go "unanswered." I wouldn't know what I'd do otherwise. His will over mine -- that's what it comes down to -- because He has promised me all things good. :)

(Image from Getty Images.)