Is There a God?

It's lawn mowing day for me. As always I contemplate the universe when I'm out there trudging behind the mower. This week has been riddled with heartbreak and disappointment for my family and me with only more to come in the near future. I have never been one to cry "Why me?" or ask "How could God let this happen?", but I must admit that I have pondered the complexities of God's will as I have wondered (yes, I meant to say wondered) through this week.

While I have never questioned if there is a God, I realize there are people who do wonder. The proof has been in front of me my whole life. Life itself is proof to me but I have also witnessed miracles that could only come from God. I am human enough to admit that there is something much bigger than me that runs the universe and all its workings. Someone who holds all the control when I seem to have none. It's hard to relinquish control but I think that every human holds knowledge of God somewhere in their heart, no matter how small a piece and how deeply it is buried. Of course, every human has the right to choose whether to embrace God or not, and the irony in this is that He gave us choice as part of His plan. The beauty in choice is that every single choice ever made carries a consequence, whether that consequence has big or little effect on life.  So when calamities arise and  life gets unpredictable, the agency He gave us plays a part. God does let life happen to us. I firmly believe He interjects and intervenes as He sees fit, but so many things happen as a result of our human decisions, and He values that ability to choose. There are times when I have begged Him to intervene. I have asked him to open the earth and swallow whole bodies of land, but we continue to choose-either to our benefit or to our despair.

So back to my original question, is there a God? As for me, I give a definitive YES. He is in the air I breathe, my moveable, workable body, the beauty in the earth, the miracles I will not mark as chance. I have asked Him if He is real and I have my answer. Every person should know for themselves. I will not deny Him because things don't go my way or He "let bad things happen." That is where I know He has allowed agency. There has to be a reason to be here. Choice is how we know. What would be the purpose of existence if we led a life of aimless travel with no consequence for our actions? Our accountability to Him is what it all comes down to. Yes, His mercy is great, and thanks to this gift of choice, his justice will also be great.