H2G2 II

If you're wondering why I made such a big deal about H2G2, well ... I love the book and I deeply admire the author, Douglas Adams. He was a funny, unpredictable and brilliant thinker. My biggest takeaway from Adams is that even though he saw chaos, absurdity and craziness everywhere, he refused to accept that he couldn't make the world a better place. He choose to wrest meaning and value from that craziness, and for that, I thank him. That is the attitude I have adopted throughout this season ... I have rejected the old, fat, unhealthy me and I will wrest something fit and healthy out of it.

However, there is one big area where Adams and I disagree. He was an avowed atheist and I am not. I won't describe his position here (he does that himself), but I will share my position. If you were hoping for something funny today, come back tomorrow and I'll try to deliver.

You see, I believe God is my Creator and that He's good. He continues to have a vested interest in my success. Nobody wants me to be happy more than He does. He's my biggest cheerleader.

I also believe God has wonderful intentions for me. Unfortunately, I have intentions for me as well, and we're often at odds over them. As my Designer, He knows better than I what I need and what I should do, but that doesn't stop me from thinking I'm smarter than He is. I recognize a similar phenomena in my kids. Sometimes I think they think I'm an idiot that doesn't know what I'm doing.

By thinking, saying and doing things that defies God's intentions, I had built up barriers between us. He continued to want good for me, but I wasn't cooperating. The theological term for this is sin. I know it's an ugly word that offends some people, but it simply means "missing the mark" ... and it has consequences. Sin damages relationships, not just between friends and family, but between Creator and creature. Even worse, the damage done is beyond my own ability to repair.

Remember when I said He was good? That's such a massive understatement. He sees the barriers that I've raised, and has set about repairing our relationship. He's pursuing me! The centerpiece of His plan is His Son, Jesus Christ. Without going into a lot of additional detail, He lived a perfect life and died in such a way that He conquered the sin problem. He freely offered the gift of restoration to me, and I simply chose to accept it.

My life has not been the same since. I'm not claiming to be perfect or that my life is void of chaos and sorrow. All I can tell you is that I am not alone. He repaired our relationship and I can't imagine surviving some of the things I've endured without Him. This is my story, but I'm not unique. I believe it's a story that can be true of every one of us. If you'd like to talk about it, let me know.