Failure

Eric always quotes John Mayer songs. I am going to quote Martin Sexton songs.
Martin Sexton has this great song on his most recent album (Seeds) called "Failure". This is one of my favorites on this album (they are so good it's hard to choose just one favorite). In this song he says,
"Thank God for failure, and the things I couldn't do,
So much of my life, it's all I ever knew, Thank you for failure..."
I've been thinking about love lately. I just finished reading Hosea not too long ago and have been thinking about God's love in a different way. Often times God's love seems so perfect that I take it for granted. I know that God will love me no matter what, so I abuse His perfect love. The book of Hosea helps me understand the pain and rejection God goes through when I abuse Him in this way. Not only do I see the suffering He goes through, but I see the mess and suffering those who walk away from Him experience.
In Hosea, God lets Israel walk away from His love. He gives us freedom to choose Him or to choose other things. The Israelites choose other things and they suffer the consequences. God, in His love, makes sure that they suffer the consequences of turning from His love. The Israelites turn back to God when they realize they have messed everything up. They are in despair and they desperately need God.
So I am struck with a new love story. In this story suffering and love go hand-in-hand. God makes sure that we feel the consequences of turning from His love and seeking other things...stupid things. Time and time again, I am brought to a place where I am thankful for my failures. I hate that I turn from God's love to seek other things. I am thankful for the failure and the suffering that brings me to a desperation for God and His perfect love.