What Love Really Means

I'm a long-time fan of JJ Heller (introduced to me by a good friend about 3 years ago when I was going through some of the most difficult days of my life.) Recently the song "What Love Really Means" was playing, which I've heard countless times...but today when I heard it, I found myself in tears. I wrote last week about the 'surprising-love' of the Father, the kind of love that sweeps you off of your feet when you least expect it, in a least-expecting kind of way. This song today, reminded me of the 'unconditional love' of God and brought me to tears because He is sooooo, sooooo kind, gentle and patient in His love for us. He will wait a life-time for us to awaken to the realization of how much He loves us, and each one so personally. It isn't a cookie-cutter kind of love that..."I made her like this, so she gets that kind of love, and I made him like this so this is the kind of love he gets." No, no, no! His love is so completely intimate for each one of us that He even knows the number of hairs on our head. One of my most favorite scriptures is, "I watched you being formed in your mother's womb!" He loved me from nothing! That is insane to me. He loves me in my darkest hours and my darkest places. He loves me when I'm having a great day and he loves me through the worst of days, when I'm tired and ugly inside, when I'm frustrated and nasty to my kids because the bathroom towels are on the floor...again! He loves the wife who has been abandoned. He loves the murderer facing death-row. He loves the business-man holding onto a secret addiction. He loves the drug- addict kid who has never known the stability of a loving home...and He waits...for the moment! As I get older, and my kids get older, I understand a little better (minutely better) how all of heaven ignites when a sinner comes to the realization of His love. We have comparisons of this kind of relationship with our children on a daily-basis...as pale as those comparisons might be. God gives us these glimpses into His profound character through interactions with our children...times of forgiveness and understanding and relationship, even in times of pain and striving.

I can't believe He has chosen to love me with this kind of love. It blows my mind. I can't even wrap my mind around it. Yesterday morning when we woke up...I was making breakfast, the boys were busy being boys, baby Belle was chattering away in her bouncer... I stopped and just looked and listened. Chris Tomlin was playing in the background and the moment just took my breath away. Silas was humming away doing something on the living room floor. Caleb and Ben were talking bikes with Dad. This was "US" and GOD was right there in the middle of it all. His presence was more real to me in that moment and I had revelation of the benefits of LIFE IN CHRIST! What a precious gift this life is! It is peace. It is hope. It is joy. It is LOVE!