HE IS

There is a song that has been gaining in popularity lately, Good Good Father. We've been singing it in church for the past couple of years and I was having a conversation with my best friend/roommate Megan, about how in the past few months we've been changing how we sing it. There is a line in the bridge "You are perfect in all of your ways, you are perfect in all of your ways, you are perfect in all of your ways, you are." The next time they sing it, the last line changes to " You are perfect in all of your ways, to us." In the last few months however, we've been singing it "to us" every time. It's how it's being played on the radio too. Megan was telling me "I don't like that we sing it differently. It changes the meaning. Sometimes we don't feel like God is perfect to us, but it doesn't matter because HE IS. When we take out the YOU ARE, we change the entire importance of that part of the song." Megan is a song writer; words are important to her. She also very deeply cares about the character of God. She notices when song lyrics change, especially when they are about God's character. I realized  though, that she's right. This song has been an encouragement to me lately, and it is exactly that part of the song that has been so encouraging. 

I've previously written about all the seasons of change in my life lately. Just when one thing seems to be settling down, something else changes. Pretty much every area of my life: church, work, personal, creatively, is changing in some way. Some of them are really good changes, and some are really hard.  Yesterday I was reflecting on that part of Good, Good Father. "You are perfect in all of your ways, you are." Right now, that is really hard to believe in my finite mind. Right now, His ways don't seem perfect. His timing seems terrible and I feel exhausted. But it doesn't matter what I think about his ways or His timing. His character is not dependent on what I think or how I feel. HE IS. He is perfect, he is alpha and omega the beginning and the end, He goes before me and follows behind me. HE IS. I don't have to feel like it, or understand it. But if I believe it, if I cling to it even when it doesn't seem true, it brings hope. Is everything magically better? No. Do I suddenly feel better about all the change in my life? No. But I have hope that it will get better, that there is purpose in everything, and that He knows what he's doing. I'll be honest, life is hard. Sometimes it overwhelms me and I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water. But it is in those times when I cling to God's character. I remember that HE IS. He is good, He is just, He is perfect, He is love, He is comfort, He is a good father. HE IS. 

I don't know what you all are going through. Maybe it's a hard season and you aren't sure how you're going to make it. Maybe it's a good season for you right now and things seem settled. Either way, God's character is unchanging. He is perfect in all his ways, whether we feel it or not. Cling to that hope. I don't say that in a blasé way, but it is my sincere hope and prayer that you can find comfort in that hope. Because HE IS.