God doesn't fit in a box.

I'm getting a bit tired of my judgment being called into question all the time. And no - I'm not saying that my judgment IS good all the time. Because I know it's not. But please - give me some credit.

I could make this blog about defending the things that my judgment is being called into question about, but I'm not going to do that. Instead, I'm going to talk about the God that I believe in - because I think some of my decisions that are being called into question have been made because of my understanding of him.

I believe that God created the universe, and he's bigger than it. He created a world full of people in his image, people with brains and the ability to make choices and decisions based on the conclusions that they come to with those brains. And then - he gave those people the freedom to make those choices. Choices about what they do and what they believe.

Now here's what God DIDN'T do. He didn't make a world without questions. He didn't make everything spiritual so cut and dry that we are forced to believe in one religion without question. He didn't make us robots. (Based on what he did create - as mentioned above - I would think the latter would be obvious.)

I think sometimes we try to put God in our own little boxes. I've kinda tried to stop doing that. Heck, I'm trying to expand my own little box for myself as well. If I can't fit into it anymore, I sure as heck know that he can't. Why do people seem to think that God isn't big enough to handle questions? That he created a world full of people that use the personalities he gave them to seek him in different ways, but he isn't big enough to leave room for all those different ways?

I know what I believe in. I know what I believe about God. I do not believe I have all the answers, or that I do (or ever will) know everything about him. I believe he's pretty infinite - leaving room for questions and doubts and new ways of understanding. Meaning that I will try to never push my ways of believing on someone else. I think that's holding them kind of small. They're created in God's image the same way I am, why should I not allow them room to think for themselves? God does. Instead, I try to recognize what they may see about God that I don't - because honestly, I think the God I believe in is too big to fit inside one religion. I think he's manifested in lots of beautiful things in this world. I think he can be found in fundamentalist churches and "emergent" churches. I think he can be found in Catholic churches and Protestant churches. I think he can be found in religions other than Christianity. I think he can be found in art. I think he can be found in music. (And not just so-called "Christian" art and "Christian" music.) I think he can be found in endeavors that are not associated with church or religion. Heck, I even believe he can be found in horror novels.

God's bigger than the universe - so why keep trying to fit him into just your beliefs? So please - give me room to find him where I find him and stop questioning my journey along the way.

Thanks.