Ever Wonder How Much God Loves You…
This last week has been a strange one for
me emotionally although I’m not quite sure why. Maybe it’s because I’ll miss
being on the field in a few months or maybe it’s because I’m not totally
convinced on what life after the Race will look like or maybe it’s just because
of insanely dysfunctional living. The point is, one day I just felt a heavy
sense of sadness.
That same day I decided to lay it all out
for God, which I always think is kind of funny – like He doesn’t know anyways.
But as I was talking to Him I just wanted to know how much He loved me. What
did He think of me? I needed to hear some encouragement. (I never realized how
little encouragement missionaries receive from others until this trip. We tend
to dish it out but very rarely receive much in return.)
As I continued to talk I realized just how
much my self esteem and confidence had taken a beating lately and all I really
needed to hear was a random heart felt compliment. I didn’t care who said it or
how or what they said but that’s what I needed to hear. So I asked God for it.
Sometimes it’s just nice to hear a
compliment, you know? Now this may seem silly but trust me, heart felt
compliments are few and far between sometimes. So I told God that a good heart
felt compliment was what I needed.
After venting to God and coming up with a
quick fix to my sadness I went on with my life and actually forgot about my
request. The following night one of my friends came home and told me that she
was looking through photos that she had taken early and gave me a very sweet
heart felt compliment. Then she said, I was just thinking this and that and God
told me to tell you. At those words, I started to cry.
These were not tears of sadness by any
means, but tears of joy and love. You see, God loves all of us so much and
although right now He’s helping voters decide the next President of the United States
and protecting His people from rebel attacks and saving souls from Hell and
ministering to prostitutes around the world, He still wanted me to know how
much He really loved me. My simple request had not gone unheard. With
everything in this world that God is dealing with He still has the time and
love and patience to let me hear a flattering remark so that I can be encouraged.
How amazing is our God? After creating the
world and creating everything in it, after dying on the cross, after performing
miracle after miracle, He still loves us enough to show us that He cares. What
an intimate God serve! At times like these, I realize just how intimate my
relationship with God can be and that’s how He wants it. Life could be so much
easier if I would just remember this!
So if anyone reading this needs to hear a
loving remark from God or needs encouragement or whatever simple little request
that you may think is just too dumb to ask from God because He’s the King of
kings or because you think God won’t care, I ask you to try it. Ask God to send
someone to you to encourage you or to give you a heart felt compliment or a hug
or whatever you may need. Yes, we serve a big God but we also serve an amazing
God, a God who wants to be a Lover of our souls. He wants an intimate
relationship with you.
