Chewing the cud

So the other night I was having dinner with my grandparents, and my grandma shared the coolest little insight. It turns out the Greek word for meditation comes from the same root as the Greek word for a cow chewing its cud. The cow takes the food in, then brings it back up to process it so that it can be absorbed. And that's what meditation is!

Something my dad said over the weekend struck me, and I've been "chewing" on it the past several days. He said "God loves you so much He accepts you as you are, and God loves you so much He is not willing to let you stay as you are." It seems so contradictory, but that shouldn't surprise me, as much of God's Kingdom is so different from our human way of thinking. The thing is, it's totally NOT contradictory. It's so in line with what I've experienced of God's character.

I wonder what my life would look like if I truly grasped this truth... God has had me on a journey of beginning to really believe He accepts me as I am, and I can tell you that when I do live in that truth, there is such freedom! It's like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders - "You mean I don't have to strive to earn God's love?!" It's amazing! So, I wonder what freedom it would bring if I truly grasped the second part as well - "You mean this process of change is a good thing?!" I think James gets it, and that's why he's able to say "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." He understands that God loves us so much, He is not willing to let us stay as we are. He understands that when God gives us trials, it's part of the process of maturing us - which is such a good thing.

I pray that God will continue to work this truth deep into my heart, that I might live out of the freedom He offers.