infinite possibilities

sometimes God has to wow us to remind us that he is who he says he is. not that it's his obligation, it's just that otherwise, we tend to forget. and right easily. but when you hold a belief in your mind that something can't be done, something is impossible, and the God takes that opportunity and flies in the face of it, it gives birth to faith. it proves to us that our simply believing something is impossible does not thereby make it impossible.

not only that, but when God does the unexpected and shatters the perimeters of what we think he is able to do (or even think he's likely to do), you begin to think... or shall i say -- i begin to think: “hmmm. that was pretty dang impressive. what else can you do?” (as if God's power is a sideshow for my amusement's sake).

i think He's empowered by our curiosity about Him. He can do amazing things when he's able to get our attention. it starts a dialogue of sorts where you go from doubting to being curious, to asking questions, to getting answers (he provides them in the most peculiarly yet recognizable ways)... to believing, to communing, to becoming more like Him and only desiring to spread his truth around the earth.

i recently told a friend of mine (who astutely perceived my aversion to authority), “i don't do well with [people telling me what] I can't.” completely on the opposite side, God tells us what we can do. people get this weird idea that the Bible is full of rows and columns of “you can't” that tie you into a straitjacket faith. yes, there are some guidelines on what not to do “if you want to be happy for the rest of your life,” but even those “i can'ts” don't bother me when i measure them up against the “cans”. the “i can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me”. the “with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible”. the “all things are lawful, but not all things are expedient”.

i wouldn't term him as an irresponsible permissive parent, but instead one who knows the value and purpose of freedom. one who gives allowance weekly with a smile and encourages the child to manage it wisely, helps the child make better decisions, and has compassion enough to pick the child up when he falls. i tell you, it's win-win. it's a good system, if you learn how to work it. working it begins with faith, and for me, my faith began as a series of questions. i know personally that God answers these questions that may or may not be spoken. sometimes the answer comes in pieces, but i know it comes. and for the freedom that comes with it, i must say, it is by all means worth the wait.