God is Bigger than the Box We Put Him In

I see God a bit differently than some see Him, and although many would disagree, this is how God has presented Himself to me time and time again.  He is so much bigger than any of our notions about Him allow us to perceive.  What we see, comprehend and experience is only a tiny fraction of who He is.

God is merciful.  We say this but don't always really think about HOW merciful God is.  he is so merciful that He sees into the deepest parts of who we are, and He understands why those parts are there.  He sees our greatest weaknesses, and remains with us as we try to get the courage to trust Him to give us the strength to overcome.  Whatever we have suffered...whether it be abuse, trauma, ridicule, molestation, loss, pain....God understands. He does not sit on His throne and pass judgment on us when we act out as a result of the deep wounds that we have experienced.

God is patient. He loves us through our pain. He loves us through our mistakes. He loves us even when we try to push Him far away.  God, if He so chooses, could instantly zap away our pain...but that isn't usually the case. God comes into our pain and shows us how He can bring light into the darkness.

There have been so many instances in my life where God has actually entered into my darkest places to remind me that He is still there, watching over me. Some may wonder how I know it was God. All I can say is that there was no other explanation.  I have ventured into some scary places in my lifetime...places that could have been very dangerous. Even in those situations, God brought people to me to help me when they could have easily hurt me. God has spoken to me through people who most Christians would pay little attention to, due to their lifestyle.

God has opened doors when I have been ready to just give up. God has brought people into my life who I have needed at just the right time.  He has never rushed me to see His way.  He has waited patiently until I was ready to see His way.

God is love.

God brought an angel to me once, and I have no doubt that this is who the person was. He didn't have wings. He didn't wear a halo. He was in the grocery story. I was in the dairy aisle, and a complete stranger walked up to me and said, "Cheryl?"

I looked at him, wondering how he knew my name. I said, "Yes? Do I know you?"

He just smiled kindly and said, "God has a special message for you. Do you know someone named Shirley?"

My heart began pounding out of my chest. Shirley was my mother's name, and she had recently passed away in another county a couple of hundred miles away.  I had been so filled with grief over my loss, and also in wondering if she was at peace. I whispered, "Yes...I know a Shirley."

The man smiled and said, "God said to let you know that she is fine and at peace."

Tears came into my eyes. He then said, "God also wants you to know that He has a very special plan for your life."

And that was it. I was speechless, and knew that this man and the message he brought with him was from God.  I thanked him, and he said "God bless you" before walking away. As soon as he turned the corner into the next aisle, I ran to see if he was there. He wasn't. I searched the store and the check-out aisles. He was gone...just as quickly as he had appeared.

I'm not someone who imagines things. I've very level-headed. There was no way this stranger could know my name, my mother's name or the anxiety I had been feeling. It was God at work again in my life, watching out for me.

Let me urge you to widen your ideas about God and who He is. We so often try and put Him in a box, wrapped with a narrow vision of who He really is.  Remember that He is the God who loved you enough to come down from Heaven in human form.  He has felt your pain, your humanity, your suffering.  He did not choose to be born in lavish surroundings.  He chose to be born in a dirty stable surrounded by dirty, smelly farm animals. The Maker of the Universe, the King of Kings was born in the humblest of places.

You can never fall too low for God. His arms can reach into the lowest, darkest places and lovingly pull you back up.

You can never be too broken for God. He can heal whatever is causing you pain.

Trust and believe in His loving mercy. It is always there.  He came as a babe but He is the ultimate loving Father.  His love never ends.