No Variation

Time doesn't slow down in the grandiose.

The final week still has a Tuesday.

Someone does the dishes after the wedding reception.

You still have to drive home from the funeral.

I think it's inevitable that I get introspective in the closing months of my time at Liberty, so expect a few more of these in the coming days. My current reflection is that my daily rhythms hold so much more value in these days. My walks past the Blue Ridge horizon are more filled with wonder. My daily interactions with my best friends choke me up extraordinarily easily. And life keeps hurtling toward the unknown, completely unbothered by my own trepidation. 

What I've been holding on to is what I know to be true. The joy of my life over these past years has been my God. I could say that I've been blessed by resources, community, worship services, self-actualization, or any number of other alternatives, but when it comes down to it, "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." (James 1:17)

That unchanging God has been so faithful. He is the one who has taken painful photos and turned them into signposts of his mercy. He is the one who has taken my unpreparedness and turned it into ministry. He is the one who took my fear of loneliness and turned it into the sweetest community I've ever had. He is the one who has led me when I was lost, redeemed me when I was prodigal, sanctified me when I was duplicitous, humbled me when I was proud, and chosen me when I was undeserving. 

And that God is following me out of this season. That unchanging God will be with me when the full time job starts. When "what's up next" doesn't come quickly. When life isn't what I know, I'll still know him. He is my joy and my anchor. And he never changes. He never leaves. He never fails.

It feels weird writing a post like this, because I know I wrote something similar coming out of high school. And I know I had the head knowledge then. But, after spending 25% of my life as a student at Liberty University, I can truly say I have lived in and experienced the goodness of God. He has set his love on me. And no matter what season comes next, my heart cries to do the same for him.

If you find yourself in a similar season, I hope James 1:17 brings hope and confidence to you. Living life in the steadfast love of an unchanging God is an absolute game changer. And if you don't know him, I invite you to reach out. If you don't know what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus, shoot me a message. I would love to share with you how confidence in an unchanging God can belong to you.