I Am With You

I Just started reading this book this morning called 

Love Does by Bob Goff

The first chapter already has me tearing up.  The chapter is called I'm with you.  It is a story about when He was a teenager and he wasn't quite done with high school he wanted to go to Yosemite and be a rock climber.  There was a a guy that didn't go to his high school but would come by and hang out at the school and try to talk with him about Jesus.  After a while they became friends. 

Well Bob, the author, decided he was going to cut school and drive to Yosemite and he went to say goodbye to his friend, his friend thought for a few mins and invited himself to go with him saying "Bob, I'm with you".  No chastisement or "what are you doing?" Just "I'm with you"  

So they head out to Yosemite in VW and Bob tries to find a job and can't find anything and is running out of money. So he decides after 2 days of not finding anything and only enough money to get home, he would head back.  Again his friend just said to him "I'm with you" 

When they get back and Bob goes to drop his friend off at his house they go into the house and Bob sees there are wedding gifts half opened, and realizes that his friend had just gotten married to his girlfriend and sacrificed part of his honeymoon to go with him to Yosemite to make sure he was safe and ok. 

I was so moved by this story.  We are told all the time God is with us over and over.  But there is a big difference between just some higher being that looks down us and says "I'm with you" and watches over us, from a true friend that looks us in the eye that packs their bags and says "I'm with you".

My family moved around a lot when I was a kid because my dad was in the air-force.   It kind of made it hard for me to make friends. That may sound a little crazy, because you might think that would make me be good at making friends.  But being an introvert, you kind of get more and more shy of making friends because you know you will soon have to say goodbye and move.  

I think it was almost after I started my first job out of college that I met a friend that really was truly "with me" for the long haul.  I am so grateful every day for her she is my dearest Sister.  

• Matt 1:22-23 Says:  "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us)”NIV

 God didn't just stay in heaven, He came down to earth and was born as a human being to BE WITH US!  :)  Isn't that Cool!

God is totally the guy that packs his bags or the sister that packs her purse :)  and says "I'm with you!" "For the long haul, whatever it takes"  Even if He knows we are bent on heading into the fray without a single lick of sense or preparation.  "I am with you"  "I am your confidant, comrade, your bestie, your BFF"  "I got your back"  

Great reminder that God is always closer than we think in a so much more personal way than we give Him credit for.  How has God told you lately that He is with you? Remember this week, He is more than just with you..... He is All In, packed His bags,  WITH YOU AlWAYS! AMEN!