To those....

To those who think we should have chosen an easier route. To those who believe that life should be training to reign. To those who would rather just avoid the difficult things and live life to the fullest. To those who don't know or misuse scripture to justify a self-righteous position. To those? You've missed the Gospel. The Gospel is dirty. Scandalous even! And God's love toward His children is steadfast. Terrifying even! That holy God would offer Himself as a sacrifice to buy me back from my own filth and cleanse me by joining His Spirit to mine...never giving up on me, continuing on at all cost to make me into His likeness because He knows that His likeness means completeness and that is all that bring true and lasting joy. This hope I have is grounded solidly and wrapped intricately throughout God's word. It is this. That He will use any means necessary to form me into what will ultimately be my eternal joy. Suffering and trials will come. There is little earthly prosperity in this Gospel. The only name-it, claim-it here belongs to God alone. I'm grateful for the bruising. Hard as it may be because I know all things will work out for the good of those who love Him.

First Peter has these words, "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled..." It goes on to tell us to always be ready to defend that for which you've been called and defend it I will. The problem lies in that it tells me to do so with gentleness. I don't always like being gentle. So, I'll refer to James who tells his adherents to be first pure, then peaceable.I like Robert Frost. He wrote, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Britton and I have not chosen an easy road. One might say the road chose us. I'd rather like to think God chose us for this road. And He has and will continue to equip us for the various obstacles we will conquer. We will conquer because God does the choosing and the equipping. We will do the walking.