In the darkness…

There is sometimes a moment, in the wee hours of the morning, when I am nudged awake by a gentle, tentative, tapping on my shoulder.  My eyes flutter open, my brain begins to focus, and I see a sweet little face, right at eye level, next to my bed.  There is need, or scared, or lonely in this young little soul.  He is seeking comfort and company.  He is seeking security and love.   

I open the covers wide, invite him to crawl into my arms, and we snuggle together under the warm blankets.  He sighs a deep sigh of contentment and falls into a peaceful sleep.  My heart is overflowing and bursting with love.  With gratitude.  With joy over being woken from sleep to such a precious wonder as being blessed to be this little guy’s mama.

Oh, how He loves us…

I woke to this very scene just a few minutes ago, and as my heart burst and overflowed with joy at wrapping my arms around my dear child, an image popped into my head:

This feeling, this wild, abandoned, tidal wave of boundless joy… This is how the Father feels about me.  About all of us.  He loves us in exactly this way.

He opens His arms, makes room, and gathers us close.  He rejoices in us.  His heart is overflowing and bursting with love for us.  There is not a single place He would rather be than wrapping YOU up in His arms.

Just like my son this morning, there is need, or scared, or lonely in my soul. In our souls. We can’t make it through life on our own.  We are not enough, no matter how hard we try.  We seek company, comfort, and security.  In His arms, we find all of those and more.

In His arms, we find Love.

Love, security, peace, comfort.  We are given all of this, not because of who we are trying to be, or anything we have done.  We are given all of this, simply because we exist, and He Loves us. Oh, how He loves us!

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—                                                                 it is by grace you have been saved.
~Ephesians 2:4-5

The Lord your God wins victory after victory
and is always with you.
He celebrates and sings because of you,
and he will refresh your life
with his love.”
~Zephaniah 3:17

Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
~Psalm 136:26

We are so wildly blessed by this great love…

The creator and ruler of the universe celebrates and sings because of you!  He is always with you. He loves you, and his steadfast love endures forever, even when you mess up. Doesn’t that fill you with wonder?  The God of heaven loves you so much that He not only wraps His arms around you, but He saves you from your sin.  No matter how hard you try, you will never be enough…. but His grace is enough.  Always.

That’s not the end…

As my Pastor recently pointed out, God doesn’t simply save us from sin.  He has saved us for something.  He has some kind of plan for you.  He saved you from sin FOR something.

“What are you going to be or become because you ARE saved?”
~Pastor Tim Galligan

What’s stopping you?

Be Bold!

Dear Heavenly Father,

We give thanks to you for your unending love, for your grace, and for your mercy.  We give thanks that you love us with the boundless joy of a father for his children.  We are thankful that you love us no matter what, and that you have such patience for us with us when we mess up.  Thank you for your grace in the gift of your son Jesus Christ, that we might be saved from our sin, and made whole again.  Father, please help us to remember to praise you and come to you in good times and in bad.  Help us to remember to seek you out in all that we do, that we might be guided by the plans you have for us, and not by our own desires.  Guide us along the paths you mean for us to take, so that as we seek wellness, we also come closer to you.  Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation that we might be able to glimpse the plans you have for us, and create in us bold hearts that we might go out and be the people you have created us to be, lights in the darkness of this world.

In your name we pray,

Amen.

Photo credit: Tiffanie