Rivers of Water Run from my Eyes

There's an adage that says 'youth is wasted on the young'. Well, I don't agree with that. I think that the inspiration that we have in our youth carries us all the way into old age if we allow it to... We need the enthusiasm, hope, vivacity and idealism that accompanies inexperience, naivety and innocence.

But if I had been wiser in my youth, I would have made some different choices, and found meaning and significance by walking the walk of Faith.

This brief post is my contribution to a universal effort to bring more people into the Kingdom of God.

I always had faith in Jesus as the Son of God and that he was good, kind and true. Until I reached my mid-twenties though, I never connected Jesus to any description I had of God. To me, God was more like my own father: honest and intelligent, powerful and hard-to-please, severe and emotionally  unavailable.

Now, I believe God is both just and loving, omnipotent and forgiving, accepting and very much emotionally available. When I (finally) made the connection between Jesus and God, I extended my journey into faith and was released from a whole lot of pain I'd held from childhood. Even now my journey continues. But one thing I encourage in others, regardless of youth or age: connect the dots... Jesus is God's son and as such, shows us the personality of the Father. The reverse is also true: God gave his son Jesus to us so that we could learn from him much more about the heart of God.

When we run to Him, just as would any good father, He embraces us. When we run from Him, He weeps, because He loves us and He knows without Him we will make choices that are harmful to us.

"Rivers of water run down from my eyes because men do not keep your law." The psalmist wept because people did not uphold God's principles. But God weeps too, because in breaking those principles His children hurt themselves. God longs to be with us even when He isn't invited -- to comfort the wounded child.

Sarah Tun "River in Israel"

God is love, personified in Jesus. Jesus is love, teaching us how to love. I love that I might be loved, but they love me in spite of me.