Long ago the LORD said to Israel: "I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself." Jeremiah 31:3
It occurs to me this morning, all the ways in which we define our self worth; ways that have little or nothing to do with the God who loves us with an everlasting love. We see ourselves through the eyes of others, parents, friends, spouses, bosses. . . how much of that is how God sees us? Often what gets reflected back to us from others are our failings, our vulnerabilities, our inability to perform the task at hand which we take to heart and sometimes, yes sometimes, that image crushes our spirit.
What if we would sit at the feet of Jesus, or crawl into the very lap of God with our head on his chest so that we could hear the divine heartbeat. Would that soothe our anxious souls? Would that cadence of the heartbeat of God change how we view ourselves? Would we, for even a moment, be able to see ourselves as God sees us- ones whom he loves with an everlasting love? Precious. Worthy. Sacred. Special. Could we give ourselves a break for doing the best that we can in any given moment with what we have and what we know?
God seeks to draw us into himself. . . may we take time today to allow that to happen and be filled with the joy that knows no measure. |
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Crawling into God's lap, and experiencing God's love enfolding us can be overwhelming. Like a child who whiteknuckles it through a tough day at school and bursts into tears the minute mom says, "so how was your day, honey...", I may feel a surge of emotion when I enter a time of deep prayer. Often I lean into God's presence in the midst of what seems to be an unchangeable trial. My heart softens as I sense God saying, "I know...I know..." That nurturing comfort is a gracious consolation. It can be more powerful than solving the problem at hand. God's love acts like an intense magnetic force, drawing us all in -- all the time, in every place, especially when we are suffering in any way.
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