Building up in Christ

Tonight on my last break at work I went up to the hospital chapel. There in the quiet, I bowed my head in recognition of the greatness of who God is. His gentle holiness surrounded me as a hug, and it was as though the reality of talking with God seemed much more touchable and real. God is amazing and yet, for whatever reason, we can always come to him and share exactly what we are experiencing, walking through, struggling with. Good or bad, he welcomes our us in His presence. Amazing isn't it? I always seem to be amazed at the peace that follows after talking with God, or with just sitting in His presence. It really is what the bible calls "a peace that passes all understanding."
Today I shared a bit of my story over e-mail about some of the struggles I've faced and how God has worked in them and through them. Perhaps the issues themselves were even allowed in God's sovereignty to make me more into who God is making me to be. Sometimes I look at others and it seems that more often than not things just seem to happen for them, that they are blessed, and I'm not to the same degree. It's not true however. I think that God really works on refining those whose hearts truly belong to Him. He must love me an awful lot to continue to refine me though I make a mess of things over and over again.
On June 7th of 2000 while in Portugal, I wrote the following:
"In the Old Testament God puts so much detail into how He wants His dwelling place to be built and then goes into so much detail concerning how they actually did build it. My question is this: Since now the body of Christ is where God dwells, [within the people themselves rather than a building] has He/does He go into such great detail and care in constructing us, making us beautiful and Holy?
"He must care an awful lot."

So, basically my answer to that question then as well as now is yes. God does go even to the depths of who we are, working on all the details of our lives that we might reflect Him in a more beautiful way as His light shines down upon us and through us.
For this I am thankful.