In the Beginning

"Start writing your post here." That's what the website says every time I go to write a new blog post (like this one). Everything has to have a beginning, a starting point. The only exception to that rule is God Himself, who was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. It's not the easiest thing for most of us to grasp, and I'd wager the majority of people throughout history have paused at some point to wonder, "if God created everything, then who created God." We know the answer, of course: God is eternal, without beginning; no one created Him. But it's a difficult thing to understand sometimes.

For the rest of the universe, though, there are beginnings. New things start, and old things die away to make room for the new in a cycle we experience countless times throughout our lives. Some beginnings are easier than others, however. We don't have sayings like "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" for nothing, you know. It can be difficult to learn a new skill, do things a new way, or sing new songs. It is difficult to face the first day without a loved one, to have a first day in a nursing home, or to head out for parts unknown for the first time. Those beginnings are hard.

What gives us strength for the task, however, is God working in us. The one who made the universe, who knows the number of hairs on our heads, has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us. The Creator who was present before the beginning of all things walks with us through the beginnings of new things in our lives. He is a present help (Ps 46:1) and a loving God. He is always with us, never forsaking us (Heb 13:5). And that means anytime we face something new, we don't face it alone. God is with us, even in the beginning.