Some of the most moving times in my spiritual life has been a fresh revelation of something I already knew. He constantly reminds me of simple things that I forget because of the worries of this thing called life. I am reminded of his goodness, his faithfulness and his love over and over. Those are things most of us know all about but I need reminding of. Yet, when was the last time you had a revelation of the cross?
God constantly chooses to speak to me through children, even little babies. I have the privilege of watching the two most angelic toddlers in the world. Nolan is a unbelievable very sweet, kind and extremely responsible soon-to-be four year old. Elliott, is my loving blonde, blue-eyed little daredevil who turns two next week. God has used Nolan to teach me about kindness patience and gentleness. He even uses him to convict me on my prayer life. Throughout this process the biggest struggle I’ve faced is the idea of saying goodbye to the tiny humans who possess almost the entirety of my heart.
Yesterday, I was holding Elliott during worship and he decided to put his head on my shoulder (Elliott has never been a big cuddlebug) and my heart began to break into a million pieces. Holding that sweet babe, I thought “I can’t do this. How can I love someone so much that isn’t even my child? Has anybody ever faced this?” I started to imagine a parent leaving their child at the airport for a year and the hurt that I have to face come August came rushing at me. Yet communion started, and with it, revelation came.
God gave his only son. God gave him up. He sacrificed his one and only child for me. He didn’t just miss a year of his life, he sentenced him to death. Take the emotions I am feeling and times them by 1,000. Imagine someone you love more than anything in the entire world. God’s love you is thousands of times greater than that. The love you can hold in your tiny little heart for someone doesn’t even begin to compare to the love God has for you.
God gets it! He gets me. There isn’t anything he doesn’t understand. There isn’t pain he can’t empathize with. He knows me inside and out. We need more than a reminder of his faithfulness and his promises. We need a fresh revelation of the work done on calvary. We need the cross to come alive in our lives. We all need to remind ourselves “Jesus died for me”! This whole christianity thing is pointless if Jesus didn’t die for our sins! How can we go on everyday not remembering the importance of the cross; the immense love that was poured out for US! The cross has become a symbol for a lot of us & communion has become a ritual. It’s all too familiar. But Jesus suffered. God sacrificed. ALL FOR ME. The story of the cross is deep and emotional and hard. But it is a victorious story. A story of hope! I once was in bondage to sin, but now I am free! I was dead in my sins and I now am alive with the power of the resurrected Christ. THAT is what this is all about. That’s what this whole thing called life is about. My life is a testimony of the power of the cross. I serve a God who understands all my emotions. He gets me and he sticks with me. Oh Lord, am I thankful for that.
P.s. Thanks Amber & Kyle for raising these adorable world changers.
