Our Faithful Father

If you have known me for any length of time or been reading here any length of time you know that I like to look back at life and reflect on God's goodness, especially at milestones in life. Moves, like birthdays, often precipitate such reflection in me. I am not generally one to take life changes too well, so it helps for me to spend time before the change dwelling on the past and preparing for the future.

Maybe it was the amazing rainbow that God displayed on Friday evening that started such thoughts, may be it was the reality that now that it is May our move feels more imminent, maybe it was that 6 weeks from today is our last full day in Aberdeen. Whatever the cause (and probably more likely all of them together), this morning before church I spent a great deal of time reflecting on God's amazing goodness and faithfulness, especially in relations to our lives here.

I think it was the rainbow - perhaps the brightest and certainly one of the longest lasting - that first made me remember a rainbow shortly after arriving in Aberdeen over 2 and a half years ago. As I hung out of our window awestruck and shutter happy, I remembered that post. And I remembered God's faithfulness. Even rereading the  post now brings tears to my eyes. God went before us into the unknown of this city and the move here and provided ever so much for us.

This morning I reflected on so many prayer requests we prayed in the months prior to our arrival - a church to call home, friends to share our hearts with and to laugh with, a flat that would meet our needs and be near to the University, a job I would enjoy, financial provision of paying for tuition and other expenses, better health for me (I was quite sick right before we came and once we arrived), and on and on the list goes. It was so good to remember because I saw how perfectly and uniquely God answered our needs and many of our wants.

Looking back is so comforting as I look forward, praying many of those same prayers again that I was praying 3 years ago - a church family to be a part of, jobs we enjoy, financial provisions, friends, etc. Nothing can give you confidence and faith in God quite like remembering how faithful He has been to you in the past. He is worthy of my trust and He will not fail me/us.

If you read the post I wrote back in Sept 2007 that I linked above, you read that we had sung a song that Sunday in church called "What a Faithful God Have I." I am pretty sure that I've written out the lyrics before as well (though at the moment can't remember where that post is), so I've included a video for you to hear the tune/lyrics. In many ways I suppose this song has become a bit of a theme song to me personally during our time here. I will not soon forget it, nor the things God has done in our lives while we've been here.