We might forget this simple truth when our plan isn't God's plan. If everything were easy, and our plans always worked out, we wouldn't need God. We wouldn't need teachers, parents, counselors, or law enforcement officers for that matter, either. The most challenging times of my life proved to be the times that grew my character, integrity, and confidence the most. From my personal experience, when times are "easy" my good qualities become more likely to unravel. With anything, the challenge brings growth.
It's hard to wrap our brains around God's perspective and it's so easy, perhaps TOO easy, to empathize with the world's perspective. The world's perspective is so harsh, cruel, unforgiving, judgemental, and relentless. Even though it's easier to view people through the world's lense, I much rather attempt to view it from God's gracious perspective. He loves each and every one of us and He wants a personal relationship with each and every one of us. He's willing to walk by our side through life even when we don't acknowledge Him. God will fight for our soul until the last possible breath. NO person is TOO FAR gone to be welcomed into God's kingdom. No person has sinned too much for Him to cut ties with them. God is never absent. He's there in the midst of the struggle pleading with the broken, the hurt, and the sinners. He wants us to turn to him and accept His son.
The culture of the Dream Center truly embraces this Godly perspective. Probably my favorite part of the DC, other than the food truck, is the Discipleship Program. There are men and women in the program who perhaps society has written off. They weren't good enough, clean enough, smart enough, honest enough, and whatever else society frowned upon them for. In short, these are people society didn't want to give a second chance. However, these are the people God calls us to love each and every day. It's easy to love the people who pretend to live perfect lives, but that's not what God wants. He doesn't condone shunning of His children regardless of what WE think about them from a worldly perspective.
Each person I met in the Discipleship Program, both this summer and last, had the best attitude and personality. They were all different in their own ways and they all had their own different stories, but they all were kind. I love the atmosphere the Dream Center has cultivated. In my opinion, this is the exact culture God wants across the world; our churches, schools, and neighborhoods should feel like this. A place where people aren't judged and aren't afraid to be REAL. The walls have come down and people want to shoot straight. They want to share how God has changed them, reformed them, renewed them.
God is very alive in this place. Even though these disciples have gone through hard times, made poor decisions, or done things they are less than proud of, like all of us, God walked by their side through it all whether they acknowledged Him or not. God was never absent. It's through those struggles these men and women realized they couldn't do it on their own. They realized this world is too much and they need God, just as all of us do. I've made mistakes, done things I'm not proud of, and carried some regrets, but when I allowed God to take ahold of my life, those dark feelings faded away. God was never absent.
Let's join together and put all our judgements, insecurities, pre-conceived notions aside and vow to love each other the way Christ loves us. Let's let God use us in ways we never ever thought we could do on our own. Let's remember that there's no such thing as one event being a "God thing" because EVERYTHING is a "God thing". Let's not forget that God is always present. He doesn't show up towards the end, he's been here all along. God is never absent.
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