All Things.

All things. The first verse that pops into my head is Romans 8:28.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

But as I searched for more. There was verse after verse about “all things.”

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 NIV

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Job 42:2 NIV

“Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.” Psalm 119:91 NIV

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3 NIV

“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26 NIV

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Romans 8:37 NIV

I could go on and on. But as I read through verse after verse, they pointed to one thing.

God is a God of all things.

This is so simplistic. Something young children in Sunday school or in my kindergarten classroom would know.

Yet for me. This simplistic understanding was a turning point for me.

For awhile now. A friend has been building a mantra in my head. “God uses all things. He WILL use all things. He IS using this!” And this mantra has been one I say to myself on the hard days. Days filled with exhaustion and tears. When the words spilling onto the pages of my personal journal aren’t fit for anyone to read. The days I want to give up and cry uncle. And then those days when I am passing this mantra on to others. On their exhausted, tear-filled, words not fit for hearing, cry uncle days.

But even more so. Not only will He, does He, use all things.

He IS BEFORE all things.

He CREATED all things.

He HOLDS all things together.

He MAKES all things possible.

He UNTANGLES all things.

He PROVIDES all things.

And all things SERVE Him.

We’ve had a rough stretch in our house. Sickness upon sickness. Calendars and schedules echoing demands. Trips to urgent care. And back again. And again. Emergency room visits. CIF basketball playoffs. And of course, just everyday life.

And as the dust began to settle. And I started to breathe again. I saw. In all things. The holding and making and providing and all the other things God has been doing throughout that stretch.

While I was moving. Head down. Plowing through. He was moving. All things.

My girl. She spent a week up in the mountains with her entire high school. Seeking Him. And she came back different. Eyes afire and words flowing out about how He moved and how He spoke and how He changed lives.

My boy. So sick. Asking. Mom, pray for me. And though I was praying over him, he knew who to ask me to reach out to. Pray for me. Ask Jesus, Mom. In his fear and mine. My boy knew who to go to. The One who is in all things. Mom, please ask others to pray for me too.

My man. Another so sick. Yet when healing wasn’t coming. And the medications were making things worse. And he struggled more than I have ever seen. The One who moves and provides and holds. Brought out what needed to be seen so true healing could come.

And me. From my babies' mouths. Mom, you couldn’t have done this a few months ago. You couldn’t have handled all of this. My own healing and strength that I didn’t know had occurred. Because He had untangled and put things back together. He held me together.

And as I finish writing, another thought. These things. All things. It never ends. He will, He does, continue working and moving and holding and creating all things together until our time here is done. Because He was before all things. And He is in all things. So when we serve Him in all things. In all of the things of our life. We get to see all things. All HIS things.