in just a little while

It's been a long time since I've written anything on this blog—almost a full year. A lot has happened since then. A lot of changes. A lot of ways I didn't want to change. A lot of working through things. A lot of scary and stressful situations. I saw myself in a way I'd never noticed before.

Throughout the last year, I've noticed lots of gaps in my own character—gaps I didn't even know how to begin to fill. There have been so many opportunities to see what's lacking. It's cool that we grow the most in hard situations. God uses the bad for good in ways that we don't even understand.

As I look around at everything happening in the world, I know people struggle to see a good God. We struggle with the fact that bad things happen to good people. We tend to throw the blame at God for everything bad that happens. We ask why He would allow something so terrible to happen. As I was thinking about that today, I was reminded that everything on earth is temporary. Pain is temporary. Sadness is temporary. Death is temporary. Life is temporary. And that holds so much hope for me.

This life on earth won't last forever. Wouldn't the pain and suffering be worth it if we got to live in the presence of God for eternity? Without any fears or sadness, we'll have inexplicable joy. I can't even begin to imagine what that'll be like, but I really don't think we're that far from finding out.

I know that I want to spend the time I have left here doing what God has called me to do. There can literally be no better life lived than one lived to honor God. 

This morning, I had a really good reminder of God's promises. Every morning before school, Abi or I will have worship with the younger kids. This morning, after we had read the story, we closed with prayer. When I finished praying, Wawa looked up at me and said, "P'Hannah, while we were praying and my eyes were closed, I saw a rainbow." He reminds us that He's in control in the smallest, most intimate ways.