Leaving on a Jet Plane
So, our nursing student should be leaving Chicago tomorrow to go back to Britian. Very sad. We loved her so much and both the students that came were a lot of fun.
But, when I think about her, I get sad (four year old word choice- I know). She lived with us so obviously she could see how involved we were in the church and our belief in Jesus and everything else that goes along with being christian. But, she wouldn't come to church with us. This was weird because our other students wanted to. They wanted to see what it was about because it was so different from their culture. But not Nikki.
Well, our cultures are pretty similar so church isn't a big shock. She said it wasn't because she doesn't believe in God - she does believe God is there. It is that she doesn't believe God is good. That is hard for me to hear for some reason.
It is nothing personally in her life - she has been rather blessed. She just can't look at the world and believe that God is good.
So, this is just weird for me because the person that is saying this to me is someone I've grown close to and think highly of - but then she tells me that God isn't good.
I don't know.
Warning!
posted by Kate @ 10:22:00 AM
1 what say u?
Interesting stuff Kate.
Funny thing - I was just talking to one of my co-workers today about people who don't believe in God (I like to call them "normal people", as Brian McLaren suggests.) I don't think we solved the problem (we had just eaten at Uncle Tom's Restaurant and Pancake House, so we were too full of grease to really think straight), but here's what I do know -
God made us with a need for Him. He is pursuing us, each one of us in a special way, as a lover pursues His Beloved. We might deny Him and ignore Him and not return His emails...etc, but He will NEVER give up. And one day, we will give in, because it is our nature to need a relationship with Him. We'll look around and say "Something is missing", and God will be right there, waiting to fill that void.
So what does that mean for me and you and your nurse friend? It means we don't give up and we keep telling God's Story and we continue to be there for people who don't believe as we do. And it means we continue to look for openings and opportunities to share our faith. Even now, as I type this, there is someone out there searching for God. I sure wish I could be there, sitting by their side. I wish I could say "God is REAL. God is GOOD. He created all of this for YOU. He loves you and wants nothing more than your love in return."
Hmmm...maybe I just did say that... :-)