And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, 

to those who are called according to His purpose.   Romans 8:28 NASB

How many times have I read that verse and shook my head.  “How can you possibly say that this trial is good??”  How many times does God need to take me to the woodshed and hit me with a 2x4 before I learn?  I had several trying years that you would have thought would have driven me to God. Instead, I was tempted, so tempted, to walk away. But God wasn’t finished with me. 

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you know what I’ve dealt with, so I won’t rehash it other than a quick summary - biking accident in June 2021 with a shattered tibia plateau, wheelchair for 4 months, learning how to walk again, total knee replacement January 2022, contacting salmonella which led to septic arthritis in my toe and the subsequent amputation of it.

Mentally and spiritually, however have been a bit of a different story. It’s been rough. I’ve doubted God’s presence, doubted His goodness, doubted His love, wondered at His plans for my life. So much so, that I went into counseling to help me process everything. My wonderful counselor at The Answer, Becky Davis, assigned me two books to read this year - God Himself, A Journey Through His Attributes, by Tony Evans and Dark Clouds Deep Mercy, Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop.  Both of them have been challenging, yet at the same time affirming what I already know. 

I thought I knew everything there was to know about God’s attributes. HA.  Yes, I’ve written papers on them. Yes, I’ve prayed through them for months at a time. But still. Did I know and fully understand them? Nope.  Even now, I have so much to learn about just Who God is and what He does in my life. And I suspect that that is a learning process that will never be completed this side of Glory.  

So a challenge to you, dear reader.  Study God’s attributes. Really dig into them.  Find out who God is.  Learn about his character. Do it on a regular basis. It’s a never ending quest because each time you think you know it all, God will reveal even more of his character, often in an unexpected manner - like a broken leg.