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God reached me through
water
by Shawn Starkey
In college I was working on a project where I had to know everything about
water. You'd be amazed at the properties of water; we take it for granted
yet it solves so many problems and protects us. For a simple example of what
I mean: water is a rare substance where its solid form (ice) floats on top
of its liquid form. Why is this so important? If ice sank then lakes,
rivers, and indeed the oceans would freeze with huge impacts to life and our
environment. Many other amazing examples could be listed from the
disciplines of chemistry, biology, and physics. It dawned on me one day that
something so universally applicable yet simple was ingenious, too ingenious.
How could so much come from so little? Its design was too elegant to be
happenstance.
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You don't build a house by blowing up a hardware store. I realized
there has to be an Intelligent Architect for water and everything
else. I researched the major world religions for an Intelligent
Architect with one deciding factor: does the message ring true?
Christianity, I learned, is unique from other major religions in two
ways that reverberated through me:
1. Grace - There is no “earned reward”, no jumping through hoops, no
need for reincarnation to make past wrongs right. However, this
doesn’t mean it is easy…
2. Relationships - God actively and passionately tries to connect
with us! He lived with Israelites, then governed them, parented
them, then He took human form and lived with us, taught us, then
died for us… and now He lives in all of us. He doesn’t make us trek
anywhere to find Him, He is with us. |
You don't build a house by blowing
up a hardware store. I realized there has to be
an intelligent Architect for water and everything
else. |
After I learned these two things, I could not imagine a god without them. It
took time for me to digest them, though. I wanted things to either work my
way or the way I thought would be “best.” One day I realized I was fooling
myself. I was never a judge or rule maker and my idea of “best” was limited
to my own self interests. Just as my body moves within the physical laws
God created, my soul lives in the moral laws He created; I have no vote in
either set of laws. God’s commandments are there for our betterment and we
only break ourselves when we try to break them.
Later I realized that my ego was keeping me from a relationship with the
incredible God that created these laws, water, and the rest of the universe.
It is still an ongoing struggle to subdue my pride and submit to God as my
Lord. Prayer, the Bible, and reflection on God’s creation guide me in this
struggle.
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Just as my body moves within the physical laws God created, my soul
lives in the moral laws He created.
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After I put these things together I was amazed about the ease of
starting a relationship with God, however, that simplicity also rang
true. So I prayed. I admitted out loud that I wanted Jesus to be in
control. I reviewed my life: I looked for places where God had
touched my life and thanked Him; I remembered what I’d done wrong,
why it was wrong, and asked God to forgive my mistakes. I ended my
prayer promising Him that I would do my best to follow Him. |
Since that first step in my Christian walk God has been my source of self
worth, comfort, and wonder. I look for God’s beauty in the world around me;
I look to God’s plan when facing tough times. Lately God has been working in
my life through studying His word in a men’s Bible study and through my
relationships with my family. I also enjoy volunteering in the Media
Ministry and occasionally in Community Missions like the Mobile Ministry.
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