Psalm 68:6- “God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

Last night at Community Group, which is our weekly small group time for fellowship and Bible study, we played Cranium. It was so fun and it was great to just be silly and goofy together. After the game (which my team won =) ), we had a time of sharing and prayer. It has been a transition to leave the comfort and familiarity of the all-girls group I have been part of for the past two years, but it has been a huge blessing as well. It is great to be able to hang out and get to know them and their sweet children. It is so awesome to see the ways young families love God and love each other. Last night was a reminder of the reality of the restoration that happens to individuals, and then to families as God enters in and makes people new, giving them the ability to love and live in ways that stand-out in today’s culture.

My deepest longing apart from being in relationship with God is to be in a Godly marriage. This has been a huge part of the discontentment I was giving into in the past week. I see the beauty of how God created us to be in relationship, one man and one woman, and then the sharing of that love as children are welcomed in. I admire and long to be part of a family that seeks to live on mission, serving God, each other, and the community around us TOGETHER. I don’t think it’s wrong to have this desire. This is how God made me. It is sin, though., to become bitter just because I don’t have it yet. The truth is, God has ALREADY given me a beautiful family right now. My brothers and sisters in Christ are such joy to me and I can’t imagine life without them. I know that whenever I am in need, whether it is physical, financial or spiritual, I am not alone. This is one of the things I am most thankful for in life.

God is good and he gives good gifts. Those who belong to Him will never be forsaken. I see evidence of it all around. My friend at work recently placed her life in God’s hands, asking Him to be Lord and make her His. The next day her husband was finally offered a job, with great pay. I asked her yesterday how the job was going, and she said the guy turned out to be kind of sketchy and was shorting her husband hours on his paycheck. When her husband confronted him about it, he freaked out and told to him to leave. In the parking lot on the way out, her husband received a phone call from someone he had applied with a while back and was offered a job. What an amazing God and how gracious He is to show Himself to us in such obvious ways.
Hearing this story yesterday reminded me of how good He is, and what a fool I am to sit in petulance. Repentance comes when faith is present. whether for the first time or daily in the millions of ways we disbelieve God and His goodness. He is good, he is real, he takes care of us. When I remember the beauty of who Christ is and what He has done and is doing and WILL do..then I can let go of hurt and anger and despair. Hope rightly placed is a beautiful thing to have.

Last night as we sat in Community Group, I was reminded of how faithful God is, as I looked around at the faces gathered there. A group of people redeemed by God eating together, laughing together, laying our hearts out to each other and then asking God to be our first love, and to guide our steps each and every day to bring Him glory. We are not lonely because God has made us a family.  A weird, multi-racial, multi-generational, every walk of life kind of family. I love it and love those of you who God has given me.  Thanks for your prayers and your love. You are Christ’s hands and feet to me. I need you and I want to be there for you when you need me. =)

Psalm 42;5- Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.