there's no such thing as perfect people

can i tell you the beautiful thing (well one of the many beautiful things) about our god?

he never changes.

when i think about my own mood swings - which can cause whiplash at times - i can't comprehend how our god was, and is, and is to come the same holy, righteous, loving, faithful, good, merciful, forgiving father. the tiniest thing can completely change my entire mindset, thus completely changing my thoughts, words, and actions. his thoughts, words, and actions never change. his thoughts are always about me. his words are always full of truth, love, encouragment, and correction. his actions are always working in my favor.

relationships between people can and very often do change. the relationship between siblings usually grows from one of annoyance to one of close commradery. the relationship between parents and children eventually transforms into friendship. the relationship between friends can change based on location, romantic relationships, or other life shifts. all relationship changes are not positive - marriages divorce, people break up, friends get mad and stop being friends. bottom line: human relationships change - and they can change so much that they end. because god never changes, our relationship with him never changes. once we become one of his children, we are always one of his children. his affections towards us never stop. his love for us never ceases. his faithfulness to us never strays. his promises never become void. his mercy never runs out. nothing we can do changes anything about him. he alone is perfect. he alone is holy. he alone is worthy. i need to remember that when i feel as though god is a million miles away. did he move? did he change? no. i did. i moved away from him. i pulled my heart away from his. i stopped being thankful. i stopped spending time with him. i stopped thinking of him. thank goodness god's perfection is not impacted by my imperfection. instead, i'm reminded that he tells us that "my strength is made perfect in weakness." there is such hope in knowing that instead of deciding to terminate his relationship with me because i am hopelessly flawed, jesus uses my flaws to show me his own perfection and love and goodness.

o, love that will not let me go
i rest my weary soul in thee
i give thee back the life i owe
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be

o, light that followest all my ways
i yield my flickering torch to thee
my heart restores its borrowed ray
that in thy sunshine's blaze its day
may brighter, fairer be

o, joy that seekest me through pain
i cannot close my heart to thee
i trace the rainbow through the rain
and feel the promise is not vain
that the morn shall tearless be

o, cross that liftest up my head
i dare not ask to fly from thee
i lay in dust life's glory dead
and from the ground there blossoms red
life that shall endless be
-george matheson