He knows me...

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me."  Psalm139:1

He knows me. From head to toe, from the inside out and the outside in.  HE knows me.  He KNOWS me.  He knows ME!

Do you ever just crave one person to spend time with who knows you?  The whole you.  The real you.  The good, the bad, the ugly...the beautiful, the happy, the sad - all of you?

What would you do?  How would you feel with that person?  Relaxed?  After all, they know everything about you - no reason to hide anything or be embarrassed.  No reason to think about what you say before you say it.  You can laugh with your goofiest laugh and know that he won't tease you.  You can express every emotion and know that she understands perfectly....

Think about your best friend...the person who you most enjoy spending time with...maybe a sister or brother, spouse, cousin, friend....  How do you feel when you are with them?  Happy, energized, creative, relaxed?  Now imagine being totally 100% yourself...don't hold anything back at all....and take a look at their face.  Still feel that way?  Or do you feel just a little bit uneasy because they look just a little bit shocked??

We can be who we are with God.  After all, He created us.  He knows us all the way through - every thought, every feeling, every word on our tongue, every thing we do.  Everything.  He KNOWS.

Now imagine He's sitting there with you right at this moment; your hand in his, your head on His shoulder.  You're talking, He's listening....no judgement, no shocked looks...just love radiating grace and forgiveness and....peace.

May He look upon you with favor....and give you peace.

He knows you.  He made you.  He loves you.

Singing on Sunday...Love Come To Life by Big Daddy Weave

How much does He love you?

Yesterday morning I started reading Psalm 103.  I love the imagery in this Psalm for how much He loves us.

¹¹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him; 

As high as the heavens are above the earth...."I love you to heaven and back."  Doesn't that make you smile?  Can't you hear a sweet child's voice say that?  Can you hear your heavenly Father say that?  "Beloved child, I love you so much - from heaven and back..."   Close your eyes for a moment and imagine just how far that is.... That's big love!

¹² as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 

Just how far is it from the east to the west?  Incomprehensible, really.  He has taken our sins and flung them as far as the east is from the west...he loves us that much!  One of my favorite songs by Casting Crowns says:

Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other



See that?  Ever thought about that?  Jesus knows just how far the east is from the west....his outstretched arms...from one scarred hand....to the other.....  He LOVES so much that he allowed those nails to pierce his hands...so much...ponder that for a moment.... That's big, sacrificial love!

¹⁷ But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,

How long will He love us?  From everlasting to everlasting....forever....no matter what...  That's big, forever love!

He loves YOU!  He LOVES you!  Big!  Remember the game you played as a child?  Or with your child?  When you threw your arms open wide and said, "I love you this much!"

That's just what God does...what Jesus did....He threw open His arms...allowed men to nail his hands to the cross...and from one scarred hand to the other....He said, He says, He will always say,  "I love you this much!"

Praise the LORD, my soul.

Singing on Sunday - My Hope is in You - Aaron Shust

Letting go of lies...#3

2 Corinthians 12:9

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

My Lenten practice this year is to let go of one lie I have believed about myself each week of Lent.  This week that lie is "I am not enough."  It's a hard one to let go of because I have believed it for so long...and the Teller of Lies likes to make sure I hear it...either from others or just over and over in my own head.

 

Once when I was young I received a letter from a young man...he told me many things in that letter.  But the one thing that stood out was when he told me that I couldn't possible satisfy him for the rest of his life.  That I wasn't enough.  And that stayed with me.  My marriage of 22 years has failed....and in my mind that has been yet another message to me....that I am not enough.

 

I've had a tendency toward perfectionism a good portion of my life.  I had to get straight A's in school, had to do as much as I could...get things done just right, the house clean just so (which it never was or is!)  And when I couldn't live up to my own, very high and sometimes impossible standards....I knew it....I wasn't enough. 

 

As a mom, I've made more mistakes than I want to admit.  I have often felt a failure.  When I've used words too harsh, imposed consequences too tough, held expectations too high...made tears fall from my children's eyes...oh, I have believed I am not a good enough mother.  When someone close to me said they didn't even like my children???  I believed I was not enough...  But a recent letter I got from my daughter who is 13,  assured me that she treasures me, that even though I believe in my own failure...my beautiful girl says I am not...letters from my boys at the same time told me of their love for me...so maybe....I am enough for them....

And what does God say?  "My grace is sufficient for you...."   God's grace falls over me, washing away the lie....telling me that through Him, because of His grace...I am enough.  I AM enough.  I might make mistakes....not everyone out there is going to like me (ack!)...I may still feel down on myself sometimes...but God loves me.  ME! And His love and grace make me whole.  Make me enough.  

Thank you, my Father God...for making me enough...for covering me in Your grace...I lay this lie at the foot of the cross.  I lift up my face and praise You.

Five Minute Friday - Brave (on Saturday)

Around here we write for five minutes flat on Fridays.
We finger paint with words. We try to remember what it was like to just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.
Where your words are welcome, just as they are! (<–-Tweet this!)

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Meet & encourage someone who linked up before you.
OK, are you ready? Give us your best five minutes on:
::

Brave…

Brave...courageous. I don't use those words for myself very often. Nope...more like knee-knocking, hand-shaking chicken! My heart pounds, I sweat...just a mess. Not brave. Not courageous. Nope. Not me.

But today, I had an opportunity to practice. When I got up this morning...I fortified myself with a cup of coffee from my mug that has my favorite verse on it....Philippians 4:13...I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. Yes, Him....strenth. That's the key, you know. He gives me strength. He gives me courage. He makes me brave.

And so when the time came for me to be like David facing his Goliath....I prayed, I breathed, I straightened up my spine, and I prayed a little more. And yes...I was brave! And the situation turned out ok. God walked by my side, held my hand and gave me a gentle shove in the middle of the back when I needed it.

And afterwards, I felt His tender kiss on my forehead as He told me He was proud of me.

Share a blessing today...

After reading this  blog post today, I am feeling compelled to challenge myself...and you....to bless someone else today.  It doesn't have to be with money, although that's definitely one way (I have been blessed with financial help many times, and always when I most need it...and it has always been MOST appreciated and I look forward to the day when I can do that for someone else), but something from your heart to someone else....

• a smile to that weary soul standing across from you in the elevator
• a hug for someone who looks sad
• a simple touch on the shoulder can often lend an immense amount of strength
• a note - left on a pillow, a desk, a favorite chair
• a card in the mail to someone you haven't heard from in a while
• a prayer on their behalf
• a flower to brighten someone's day
• hold a door open
• pick up something someone has dropped
• let someone else go in front of you at the grocery store - that always brings a grateful smile in return!!
• pay for the coffee of the person in line behind you

There are so many different ways to bless others around us.  We have been so blessed...let's share it.  God says to love your neighbor....let's do it!  Let's go out there and shine some light!

And please, feel free to share with me one way someone has blessed you lately...or one way you have shared a blessing....