In the beginning God created the world. He created the sea, the land, the fish, the birds, the mammals, the reptiles, the plants, the livestock, and the people. And when God finished, he said, “This is no good. I don’t like it at all.” 

Of course, this is not what Genesis tells us that God concluded about his creation. But what if it was? What if God didn’t say “It is good,” but rather, “It is fine,” or worse, “It is bad?” What would that tell us about God? What would that tell us about us?

Two weeks ago my nephew Davyon was shot and killed. It was a tough time for me and my family, and it still is. He was so young and hadn't really started to live his life yet. He was only 23 years old. The way he died is a major source of pain for us. “Man...if only he had been home and didn’t take that ride.” That’s what I keep thinking to myself. I’ve also found myself wondering, “Where is God in all of this? What’s beautiful about it?” 

This weekend, I found myself sitting at my desk with a pile of my old journals, the Photos app open on my laptop, and a notepad out attempting, rather nostalgically, to get down on paper the timeline of my life over the last six years - the experiences I’ve had, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been.