If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
God loves people.
In fact, God proved he loves us by actually becoming one of us. Jesus left the very place everyone from every era has literally been dying to get to; Heaven.
Jesus left an eternal place for a temporal one, left a place of satisfaction for a place of wanting, left a place of peace and majesty for a place of war and shadows.
The earth is beautiful to be sure, but it is only a dim reflection of heaven’s wonder. Jesus willingly came and died here to make peace between us and God (Colossians 1:20).
Our God values men and women and children, no matter the shape, size, or color. Human beings have intrinsic value and worth as we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).
In fact, his love for us is so great it is unfathomable (Ephesians 3:19).
“O Lord, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!”
When I was young, summer vacations took a small eternity. Granted, as soon as I saw a hint of a “Back to School” sale, I remember being quick to complain that life wasn’t fair and summer was far too short. But even I got a little excited about getting back to the “grind” that was Elementary School.
These days it seems a season can come and go without my even recognizing it. “Winter already?” “This jacket is brand new! I bought it in 2014.”
Has time gotten… faster? If life were a roller coaster, it’s as if the early part of our lives was the slow crawl to the very top — full of anticipation and nerves and excitement — and then we got careers and kids and dogs and iPhones and we were careening through the ride faster than we could handle!