Hey y'all! 

When Pastor Dre said, "God is not fair," it hit me that I've never actually looked at it from that view he was explaining. I've said it before when I was let down, when I was disappointed, when I was jealous, God is not fair. I have never considered how it would look if He was fair to us. Can you imagine if God kept track of every time we failed, every time we lied, every time we were greedy, every time we were rude... I'm glad He isn't fair! Do you ever jump into something without praying or without asking for the advice of your parents? Later you realize you made a mistake, and things could have gotten really bad. What if God was fair, and just because you really wanted it, He made it happen for you. You could have a whole different life right now and possibly some issues. I don't like the idea of a life that grew without God's hand being in it. I'm in no way certified to make decisions based on my flesh without God. I would not be blessed with his grace as often as I am if he was fair to what I deserve. God sent His son to die for our sins so that we would receive his grace and mercy. What would your life look like if God was fair to what you deserved?

I'll never understand many things that God has done in my life. I've definitely asked "why me" and "why did this happen this way" many times. It's natural to want to understand. But God can't be understood like you understand your best friend or your sibling. He's bigger than our understanding and the box we try to put Him in. The best advice I can give you is after you've cried and wondered, ask, "What can I learn from this?". It takes your grief in a different direction. When you ask God what He wants to teach you in this moment, you take your grief and try to honor Him the best you can. You grow, you trust Him more, your faith grows, and your heart heals. That's what we can seek to do. In your moments of confusion, seek out His voice and lean in. 

Pastor Dre and Pastor Shawn have always reminded me, "If you're going to suffer, suffer well.". I'm pretty sure I've even told you this before because it's true! Life will throw all sorts of things at you as you transition through middle and high school. Friendships will change, sports will be hard, grades and homework will drain you, others will thrive right along, and you will say IT'S NOT FAIR! So take that hardship, that moment where you are so frustrated that tears fall from anger, and say, "God, what is it that you want me to learn here?" and wait for his direction. You're going to go through the challenging moments anyway, so why not make the best of it and honor God with your life as you do. He has purpose in all of your ups and downs because He is good ALL the time.

In your highs and lows, God is good. In your life, He has done all things for your good, whether it feels good or not. Take a moment this week to reflect on his goodness. Think about what fairness would have looked like in your eyes in the moments you were disappointed. Does it align with God's word and vision? Would it have put you in a position to give God glory or yourself? Dang, ending heavy here. Jesse and I will be reflecting with you this week and carry these heavy thoughts. We are here to talk it out on our movement students' Instagram anytime!

We love you and miss you!

Jesse and Marissa