El Shaddai

My small group is currently going through Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself" bible study, about the fruits of the Spirit. This week discusses kindness/ goodness, and day one is specified to God's kindness as a father. This day is mostly directed towards moms, using the story of Abraham and Hagar to show God's compassion towards the suffering mother and Ishmael, her son. But when the story comes to the part where Hagar leaves Ishmael because she can't bear to see him die, Beth takes a turn from the expected theme and says this:

"If you have a child who is rejected by his peers, God knows how you feel. If you have a child who is not beautiful to look upon, He knows how you feel. If you have a child who has been betrayed by her friends, He knows how you feel. If you have a child who has begged you to 'fix' something you could not fix, He knows how you feel. If you have a child who is suffering, he knows how you feel. If you have a child who is dying, He knows how you feel. If you have buried a child, He knows how you feel. He's been there, too. However, there is one big difference. He could have changed every bit of it. But He didn't. For you and for me."

I'm not even a parent, but that touched me. So many times I seperate God from my hurt, because I have the image in my head of an untouchable God who knows no grief. This, of course, is completely wrong. Jesus hung dying on a cross, screaming to his dad to "fix" it all, and God turned his face away. He turned his face away from a perfect Son so that we could also be his children. This role of God is the one I overlook the most, since I have a tangible dad on Earth. But God's paternal love for us is the reason he can be a part of our lives at all. He loves us so deeply- as our dad.