“I’m never too far, just look around, and you’ll find me. I’m by your side, arms open wide. I am good, and you are loved.”
As I went on a run the other night, I began to consider these lyrics from a song that echoed through my headphones. I soon found myself thinking about the relationships Jesus had with his disciples while he was still on the earth. “How did they really know Jesus loved them deeply as they walked with him?” I wondered.
After that, I started thinking about my relationships with my closest friends and the people I love the most. If a group of outsiders thousands of years from now were to read my current journal entries about my friends, they would probably find accounts of our most memorable stories and greatest adventures. They would read about baptisms, miracles that we witnessed, and our most significant conversations. It would be evident that I love my friends deeply; however, the readers would miss out on the small, significant details that lay the foundation of my relationships with them. They would miss out on the vulnerable conversations sitting on the countertop, the countless laughs, the 2 AM prayer sessions, the late-night tears, and the “I love you’s” exchanged each time we say goodbye. They would miss out on the long car rides, the spontaneous adventures while running errands, the movie marathons, and the 12-hour camping trips in the mountains.
I can’t help but think this is how it is to some degree when we read about the disciples’ accounts of Jesus. We hear about the baptisms, the many miracles, and the significant teachings. We read that Jesus broke bread with his friends, travelled with them, and took them away to pray together; however, upon first glance, we don’t get the privilege of seeing all the small, significant details within their relationships. When I thought more about this, I suddenly had no doubt that, after spending every day with Jesus, the disciples KNEW how deeply Jesus cared for them and loved them. I believe each disciple knew that this love was personal, unconditional, and sacrificial because they witnessed it firsthand each day.
It was in this moment that I heard the small whisper of the Holy Spirit say, “This is the kind of love you can know.” It is one thing to read ABOUT the love of Jesus, but it is another thing entirely to TRULY KNOW His love. Living a life surrendered to Jesus means to walk with him each day. In doing this, we are granted the privilege of spending time with the God of the universe and being in constant communication with Him through prayer and the presence of the Holy Spirit. What an honor! Any time I question whether or not I am worthy of love, I am reminded of the personal, unconditional, and sacrificial love Christ shows me each and every day. YOU were born to be loved, and, you too, can know this love that God has for you.
