God is really, really nice to me, even though I neglect him a lot and am often quite horrible in return, still he carries on being kind and stuff. I was singing 'When I survey' to an Iona tape last night after dropping Rachel off - I like that song because it's the antithesis of what I'm like a lot of the time, as in, full of pride and always seeking power and stuff, in whatever form it takes. But when I do look at the cross I really do pour contempt on my pride and count my gains as loss, because all these things are worthless and silly when seen in the light of Jesus's love.
I've been reading Bleak House (Charles Dickens book) and there's this superhumanly kind character in it, and the main character (Esther) is always reflecting on how much she owes him and how devoted she should be to him. The thing is, no-one human that I've ever met or heard of, no matter how good they are, is that kind. But God is - in fact he's kinder than that, and it just makes me think how much he's earned my respect and devotion. There's a bit in the Bible where God tells the story of him and Israel in an allegorical way, and when God comes along Israel is an uncared for, blood-covered baby kicking helplessly. And God cares for her and stuff. And at some point in our lives we all (so I reckon) get into that state, where people don't seem to care, where we're helpless to fight whatever it is that's gone wrong and is killing us, and we're hurting all over, and God can (and for many of us has) come along and carried us, like in that footsteps thing. And it's so easy when things settle down again to forget and not pay him much attention, and just be the worst friend ever. And he still cares.
God is a blinkin' nice bloke, and I love him.
(The Bible story thingy is in Ezekiel chapter 13, which is interesting, 'cause Sean, my boss at work, said he finds Ezekiel really interesting. Bit disturbing really, 'cause he seems to think it's different from the rest of the Bible, which I can't see myself - I mean, all the books are different, but the central message is the same. We might have a talk about it some time, which I'll probably find really hard, but God'll sort it. That story bit is quite scary in the second half, by the way, but the bit at the end about 'when I have made atonement for you' is interesting.)