No Crowding (from May 21st by Melinda Sparks-Renner)

By Melinda Sparks-Renner

In Colossians 1:19-20 from the Message translation, we read, “So spacious is he, so expansive, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross.”

There is room for all of us. Every broken piece of us. Every dislocated piece of us. 
Everyone who struggles with doubt, fear, complex trauma, mental health struggles, introverts, and extroverts.
Every atheist, agnostic, holy roller, skeptic, regular church attender, from the very worst of sinners to those with “lighter” sins, and all of those in between.
There is room for all of us. 

I believe in a God who uses everything that we have been through -good and bad - to transform us into Kingdom-minded people. To share with everyone we know that God loves them, all the most difficult parts of themselves, and even so, still finds it so very easy to love them.

I believe in a God who takes all of the broken and dislocated pieces of our lives and makes beautiful things out of them. 
I believe that because it has happened to me, and continues to happen to me. 
I believe that because I have seen that happen to you, too.

The very worst thing that has happened to us and the very worst thing that we have ever done - finds space in Christ. And this, I also believe.