His
anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Growing up, I spent a week every summer at Camp Tomah Shinga, a church
camp in western Kansas. During my time there, I was given many gifts, both gifts of people
and gifts of faith. However, it was during my last year there, the night before we
were to leave, that I was given a lesson I carry with me always. Our counselors
chose cards with phrases to bring us comfort as we left the safe environment and went back
out into the world. I'll never know how my counselors knew what I needed to hear,
but the card with the rainbow on the front cover changed my faith forever.
Do not fear tomorrow, for God is already there.
At 14 then, and even more so now at 21, the implications of that simple
phrase are staggering. As I prepare to graduate college and try to find a job, I don't
have to be afraid. Is that possible? Is it possible that even though I don't always
treat people as I should or give God as much of my time as I should, he loves me enough to
guide me to where he wants me to be?
These questions may seem clichéd, with obvious answers: "Of
course he does, that's the whole point," the voice in my head reminds me. But
to someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time worried about her future, the idea
that--if I do the best that I can and trust in him, the rest will get taken care of -- is
phenomenal.
Unworthy as I am, and often as I turn my back on him, the love of our
Father for his creation means that, while I may disappoint and anger him, he will not
abandon me. What an amazing gift of grace.
Father in heaven, when we are feeling lost and unworthy, let us
remember that you are the ultimate shepherd. While our thoughts and actions may
anger you, help us to remember that we are your chosen ones, and that no matter how dark
the future may seem, you are the light that will guide us on our way.
