He's Always Been Faithful

The story of God's faithfulness in my life is a long one with many facets. 

From grandparents who prayed for me and modeled loving, compassionate Christian lives, to parents who walked with me through all my bratty stages and talked me through all my teenage drama and questions about God and the world, to the love and laughter of my beautiful sisters.

From sitting in wooden pews soaked in Scripture-filled liturgy and steeped in God's word and grace, to the love of sweet family and friends at Parkway, to finding community and Christ's body in the Rivergate skate center at Well House. 

From growing up a "smart kid" with beloved teachers at Parrottsville, to band and best friends and teachers who still inspire me at CCHS, to the winding oak leaf pathways of Vanderbilt and the passion of Peabody, and finally to the halls I love the most, the halls of Shafer Middle School, where I couldn't be happier to be Mrs. Coleman, surrounded by awkwardness and braces and puberty-induced bewilderment and insanity, doing a job that I love with people I love. 

From crushes and prom dates with sweet high school boys, to life lessons learned with my first boyfriend at the age of 18, to the unbelievable and undeserved love of the incredible boy who would become my amazing husband. 

From being uncertain about church and God as a confused little 11-year-old, to Confirmation and realizing I needed God's grace and that He extended it to me!, to high school well-meaning piety and passion, to college growing pains and dorm room small groups, to the next big crisis or two or three, to deeper and deeper levels of love and certainty and gratitude. 

He's always been faithful. When I've been confused, when I've been sinful, when I've rebelled, when I've doubted, when I've been happy, when I've been sad, when I've made idols of everything from my husband to my achievements to my job, when I've been angry, when I've been distracted, when I've kept Him on a back burner, when I've needed Him most– in all things, in all places, in all ways, He has always been faithful. 

Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season I watch Him, amazed
In awe of the mystery of His perfect ways
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only, and trusting His hand
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful, He's always been faithful
He's always been faithful to me