God did save us once for all eternity by his son on the cross. But he didn’t just save us once – a long time ago. He saves us moment by moment and day by day because all of our moments matter to God and he shows up big in each one of them.
As I sat on the couch the other day, a particularly dark moment came over me. It was just one of those moments that happen when life is hard and it hasn’t been easy for quite awhile. I couldn’t pick up my bible to read any encouraging scriptures, or pray and get close to God through communication, or even turn on Pandora to the praise and worship station. I couldn’t get to God. So I prayed, “I can’t get to you, but I need you right now.”
At that moment, my 8-year-old son came down the stairs to put on his shoes. As he was tying his shoe, he looked up and asked, “Mom, do you ever feel like you’re all alone?”
I fought back tears because I know that God speaks to me through my son. “Yes,” I said. “Sometimes I feel like I’m all alone.”
He shook his head up and down and then stopped again, looked up, and asked, “Mom, do you ever feel like even God isn’t with you?”
Fighting back tears even harder now, I said, “Yes, sometimes I feel like even God isn’t with me…But I know that’s a lie. I know that he is always with me – even if it doesn’t feel like it.”
“Ok, I was just wondering”, he said nonchalantly. And he went outside to play.
Then I cried and thanked God for coming to me in a moment when I couldn’t get to him. And I realized he always does that. Our God always shows up. That’s what the cross was about - our God showing up for us when we couldn’t get to him. He never changes and is still that kind of father and that kind of love. His compassion, mercy, care, and comfort is big enough to continue to show up in all the moments after the cross for all of us– especially in the moments when it doesn’t feel like it.
Our feelings, thoughts, moods, or suffering does not determine the degree in which God is showing up in our lives. Our God always shows up big – whether our pain or joy is big or small. And we feel saved every time we realize that it’s God who is showing up in our lives. Even when it looks like our child, spouse, friend, doctor, career, diet, exercise, medicine, supplement, vacation, or finances – it’s always a resource from God, a good gift, reaching down from heaven and touching the boundaries of our lives – showing up to save us.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17 NIV
~Tara Godard
