mepastormike

My reading today took me to the book of John (chapter 3) where Jesus explains to Nicodemus about being born again. As I read this account once again my focus was on Nichodemus' repeated question of "How?" I'm reminded of the importance of wrestling with the hard and difficult questions of life and faith. There was a time in my life that I chose to ignor those things that I just could not wrap my head around... concerning matters of faith I would say that I simply accepted it and went on.
I learned later on in life, however, that by NOT continuing to wrestle with these issues that I really didn't solve anything. In fact, if I were challenged on these issues in any way my response (often inside my head) was a fanatical 'how dare you question what I believe'... and then retreat to more comfortable surroundings with those that believed the same as I.
As I mature in my relationship with God I find that I don't have to have full understanding before my faith is substaniated. God gives me knowledge of the mysteries of my life as I can handle them; peace to accept the things that I can not understand; and the confidence to say "I don't know."
Yesterday, just one song before I was to preach, a young boy (about 7 years old) sitting beside me whispered, "Where did God come from?" My immediate response was, "That's a very good question." I told him that God has no beginning or ending that we know of... and that God has always been present and will be present forever. The little boy looked at me and said, "That's hard to believe." To which I replied, "Yes... it is hard to understand."
Now... what do you think you would've told this young boy?