To the unknown god

Settling into this furlough with some time on my hands almost seems foreign.  In Uganda, I rarely find enough time in the day to sit and ponder, but now that we have somewhat of a routine here in Denver I find that there are many things to think about.  As a family we are going through a process of evaluating where we are now and setting some goals for 2016 and beyond.  But, as we look at where we are going we can’t help think about where we are.

Finding your bearings regarding which way to go requires you to know where you are.  The fancy technology out there, GPS, google maps, smart phones all require you to have a starting point or they really can’t help you.  So where are we? To add to the musing, really knowing where I am requires that I think about where I have been. Where and how far have I come?

From the beginning God has encouraged his people to remember.  He set the rainbow in the sky to help us remember (Gen 9:14-17), as the Israelites left Egypt (Ex 13:3) he set precepts to cause them to remember and when Joseph was in prison the butler's failure to remember to mention Joseph's plight left Joseph in prison for an additional two years (Gen 40:23). We, the Brittons, don’t want to fail to remember where we have come from and what God has done in our lives.  

Of course, as I think back over the past ten years and the process of God orchestrating our move to Uganda, I am reminded of so many people He involved and numerous things He did. God opened doors, brought sermons, did miracles and set things in order to lead us to Africa. There were the people who prayed, those who prophesied, those who gave sacrificially, encouraged, and offered advice. It has been a fantastic journey and not for one minute regrettable! But, more than just feeling good about what we have seen and done, I am increasingly grateful for HIM. “The one in whom we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

We understand as the apostle Paul did, and even before HIM Epimenides, the Greek prophet from the 7th century, B.C., that there is one God above all others. The One that is good, Who loves and cares for us in the midst of our failures to do good. He shines His face upon us, a broken and selfish people, and calls us His offspring. Paul addressed the men of Athens drawing their attention to the fact that this “unknown” god they worshiped and that Epimenides wrote about was actually the One True God.  Elohim, creator of all and the one that determines the times and boundaries of our dwelling places. He directs our paths, leads us into all truth and cares for all our needs along the way.

Knowing where we are going must begin with remembering that the One true God knows us and invites us to know Him. How else can we move forward into our destiny? As we have taught our kids, this is the beginning of all things because in the beginning there was God and all things originate with HIM. So even as we think about goals for 2016 we can’t leave God out; He is the beginning point. Remember that truth.

These pictures were taken on Palatine Hill in Ancient Rome. It was an ancient altar to an unknown God from around the 1st century BC.

Mary, Kevin, Acacia, Toby. 

The Forum, Rome, at the base of Palatine Hill.