Show up for one another. it will look like god's promise.

​I recently heard pastor Andy Stanley talking about praying with people in their dying moments. He talked about how his faith in God is strengthened in those moments. Strengthened as he witnesses people facing the end of one part of their journey and with uncommon hope and confidence beautifully look to the next part.

I suppose that is the biggest question to answer when it comes to our faith. Does our faith in God fluctuate with our circumstances? Because God's ultimate promise to us is not that we shall live a life of ideal circumstances, but that he will be there for us when our circumstances get to feeling less than idea.

I think sometimes we don't fully understand and feel the magnitude, the beauty and grace and power of that promise.

I spent some time with a group of people yesterday. We were talking about challenging circumstances. In this conversation, like most of them like this I get to have, people always talk about the power that comes with someone showing up in their biggest struggles. A power I have never heard anyone attribute to someone fixing those struggles, but always simply to someone showing up.

God created us to do that for one another.

Show up.

When as infants we were born, our lives were totally dependent on someone doing just that.

Show up.

More and more, I have come to believe the heartbeat and definition of a truly meaningful relationship is one where everything about it might change, but if one thing remains unchanged, that relationship will continue to grow. And that one thing is a commitment to keep showing up, no matter the circumstances.

My relationship with God looks absolutely nothing like it did fifty years ago. Almost everything about it has changed. But one thing has remained heavenly the same, and that is God has kept showing up.

As I reflect, I know I have come to know that truth, and see it and feel it, as a result of all the people who have showed up for me as my life circumstances turned quite challenging. It's amazing how easy it is to miss God showing up until people start showing up looking like God.

So I encourage you.

Show up.

Show up looking like God's ultimate promise to us, that no matter what life's challenges come to look like God is going to be there walking us through those challenges.

Walking us through them and to Him.

All the way to eternity.