{Helpmeet In Training} Harsh Love

Does this look familiar?

Yup, we're back at it again. Stephen was accepted into the second semester of LIFT; I'm so proud of him for how hard he had to work to be accepted again, and for how hard he continues to work now that he is up there. He's been gone for about a week a half now, and my countdown chain has made it from 118 to 107.

But, the point of this was not to write about the countdown; I want to write about something I've been learning this past month - harsh love. It all started one day after Christmas when I was bored and decided to pick up one of the books Stephen has to read for this semester. It's called Your God Is Too Safe, written by Mark Buchanan. I was only able to read the first half before Stephen had to leave for LIFT, but even just that taught me so much. 

The idea that Mark really stresses throughout the book is the idea of "borderland". A place between the worldly life and the Christian life that is safe, and yet full of apathy. You may be comfortable in borderland, but you'll never really accomplish much. He then goes on to discuss the ways in which Christians have been blinded into believing that borderland is the best place to be, and how we have tried to mold the One True God into our own timid, lazy, permissive god of the borderland. The main point that I took away from the book is that God loves us too much to let us stay in borderland. Even if He has to chase us out with wind, rain, and hail. Mark quotes C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, talking about Aslan:

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the king I tell you."

The second thing which got thrown into the mix in this lesson that I've been learning is 1 Peter 5:6-7. We read these verses in family Bible study the day before Stephen left, and they really stood out to me: 

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

The mighty hand of God - a hand works; it creates, destroys, moves, cleans, comforts. So, Peter is telling us to submit and humble ourselves under whatever the hand of God is doing in our lives. But how can we do that when so often God's hand is not gentle? By casting our cares upon Him. By saying, "Your will be done. You be glorified." By recognizing that each and every hardship that comes our way is for our benefit.

And so, all of this has been thrown together to teach me an important lesson. I know God is good, but so often He also feels harsh. And yet, in this season of my life, that very harshness is what  shows me His great love for me. Even as I was crying right after Stephen left, I kept hearing these words play through my mind: God loves me too much to let me stay in borderland. And that has brought me comfort; I know, without a doubt, that God is working mightily in both Stephen and me during this second semester. I know that He is using the challenges to bring us out of borderland, and into a deeper relationship with the Living God.

So, is He safe? No. But, He is SO good.