God's favor

     I've been thinking about favor. The favor of God. Recently I read an article that said God's favor in our lives was for other's benefit and not ours. I agree with that but I also see favor as a synonym for blessing. For some reason I just like that word favor.

     Lately it seems as if we have been enveloped with God's favor.

     As we have been turning to embrace this time in our lives from the resentment we were holding on to I just feel God's love washing over us. I love the sunshine. To feel the heat warming my face. It recharges my batteries so to speak. We're three weeks into the winter term, well Chris is, and life is good. School is easier. We got away for the weekend. It's like we've come out of a terrible dark stormy time into a peaceful harbor. The winds are calm, the birds are singing, and we are rejoicing. Oh yeah, and the sun is definitely shining.

     I'm not sure anything has changed. If school is different or easier than before. Not only has school not been overwhelming so far but we might get to do a Bible class together. When Chris suggested we both could do the class I was so caught off guard. I never would even have asked. In fact I was not thinking of going myself. I don't know how to explain my feeling right now. It's like I've been holding my breath under water for as long as I can remember and now some water has drained and I'm sucking in deep breaths of fresh air and feeling giddy inside with new possibilities.

     Has anything concrete actually changed? Is school easier or is God's favor allowing us to breath under water? I know the answer. God is giving us rest. As surely as I know anything, I know this. I feel it in my bones. I stopped fighting the water. Into my lungs it came, rushing in to kill me. To take me out of the battle. But I surrendered the fight. What I thought was death was instead a river of peace.

     Remember the non-Christmas version of the song from Love Actually? I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes, love is all around me, and so the feeling grows. That's me right now. That's the favor of God. It doesn't come free. Oh bits of it might here and there but those are teasers. You have to move to get it all. I had to embrace this time in life.

     It's like it's all just a state of mind. But God does so much more than just change state of mind. He changes everything. He frees finances, loosens shackles of time. Kindles love anew and makes hope grow. He comes in response to prayer or faith in one specific area and moves in every area. He loves. The enemy gets fifty shades of grey but God gets every color, His love is vast.

     I beg you to look for God's blessing. As I have looked for it I have found more. As I recognized it and thanked God for it then more appeared. It's not a prosperity gospel by any means. What it is is a God who gives generously to those who give themselves to Him. And as you give to Him, He is able to give of you to others. So then the favor of God really is not for me but for you. I can encourage you as I am encouraged. And love as loved and give as given and so on. All for the glory of God.