faith, hope and love: letter to God

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

letter to God

what if, after we die, we have to write a letter to God entitled "what I learned during my life"? kind of like the letter that college applicants write when they apply for admission.

here's my draft:

Dear God,

I learned many things during my life.

in the beginning my "world" was small--me, my mom, my dad, my older sister, close relatives (grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins). my parents fed me, clothed me, changed my soiled diapers. they loved me.

it wasn't long before I learned about "free will". I realized that I could be good or I could be bad (later my mom told me that it's called the "terrible twos"). I learned that my sisters and brother have "free will" too.

when I began school my "world" grew. I learned that my classmates and friends have "free will". I learned that the older that I got, the harder it was for me to "be good". too often I chose to "be bad".

in school I learned about our planet, the sun, other planets in our solar system, other stars, other galaxies, the universe, and many other things. I learned more about You. I learned that You made everything that exists, ever existed, or will exist. I learned that You made me and that You want me to "be good" so that I can live with You forever in heaven.

after college I learned that being a good person is probably the most difficult thing that many of us will ever try to do. sometimes I was a good husband and sometimes I wasn't. sometimes I was a good example for my children and at other times I wasn't. sometimes I was a good friend, employee, coworker, Christian, child of God, and at other times I wasn't. the older that I got, the more that I realized how difficult it is for me to "be good" at work and at home. many times I fail to "be good".

in my later years I "relearned" what I should have "known" since before grade school. that there's hope for those who, like me, have chosen to "be bad". that You sent Your only Son to take the just punishment for my sins upon Himself, and die a horrible death, so that I could live forever with You in heaven.

I'm sorry, God, for having chosen so many times to "be bad". thank You for loving me anyway.