By Morgan Thompson
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. -- Romans 8:28-30
Romans 8:28 is a powerful verse that often comes to mind when we are facing difficulties of some kind. It fights back against the feeling that God is no longer on our side when things start going wrong. In all things God works for the good of those who love him. In class this week, John Kyle, the executive director of Capital Fellows, challenged us by asking whether we really view our lives that way. Do I see that in the events of my past, my current circumstances, and what is to come, that God is and has been working in my life? It is certainly hard to trust, but He is faithful.
Recently my grandma said something that drove this point home for me. “This is ‘You’ from when you were a toddler going to Friday Night Bible study, and when in middle school, Bible Quizzing.” What you all may not realize is that Friday Night Bible study was what my parents did while one family hosted the kids for fun and games. Bible quizzing was a great opportunity to bury the words of scripture in my heart, but my friends and competition are what kept me coming back. God knew what he was doing when he brought me to those places – with my mixed motives and all. Now I find myself in the Capital Fellows community with 14 other young adults who long to live family lives that place Christ at the center and who desire to know and embrace God’s truth fully. God has been with me all along, calling me to himself.
God has big plans for us. The best of them? That we will be conformed to the image of his Son. Let’s trust him to use all things – commutes, laughter, and even sorrow – to make us more like Jesus on this earth.
Only in DC: This weekend I was blessed to have one of my favorite visitors come all the way from Wisconsin to spend time with me – my mom! We decided to go hiking at Turkey Run Park one day and followed the GPS navigation straight to no other place but the back entrance of the CIA headquarters! Needless to say “forgive us our trespasses” took on a more vivid meaning than I ever expected.
Pictures from the Week
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