What A Great Chasm

A couple of weeks ago, Gracie, JT, and I went on a mini road trip to the Grand Canyon. While Gracie eagerly examined all the statistics and historical events across the Grand Canyon over the years, we came to this conclusion: “What a great God we have to create such tremendous things which seemingly have no purpose other than for us to stand in awe of what He has done.”

As I finished up the school year and full-time teaching to step into full-time church planting, it has led to a lot of reflection. The last six years in the classroom flew by with a lot of ups and downs, tears shed, and laughter shared, but nothing compared to reading the goodbye letters my students wrote to me as this chapter ended. One student wrote, “I’m sad that you aren’t going to be my teacher next year, but I am glad you are going to proclaim the name of the Lord at your new church.” This was so encouraging to me, God is at work, and others are excited about what He is doing as well! In the day in and day out of teaching math, God provided so many opportunities to make Him known, and the fact that my students felt the weight and excitement with me for what this next step holds encouraged me more than any grade or educational improvement I played a part in.

When we look at the big scheme of things, it may seem that our day-to-day interactions don’t matter that much, but God can use the smallest of moments to make eternal differences in people’s lives. Inviting a family member to church, sharing the gospel with a stranger, or sharing your testimony to a coworker, all small acts that can make a big impact on someone’s life. We may not always understand what God is doing, but we can trust it is for His glory and our good. 

A phrase that has been consistent in our lives this last year is “that God is at work, and we are just here for the ride.” God chooses to use things that we would never imagine to glorify Himself. And it often is the seemingly small things, the unseen things, where He is most at work. Whether it be beholding the beauty of the Grand Canyon, or patiently walking a student through an equation, or faithfully surrendering an unknown future to Him: in the big and small things God receives glory.