Sunday offerings...

Driving down the road, the radio was playing "Back in His arms" by Mark Schulzt. I was really hit hard by the line, "I believe that he loves us where we are". Isn't that the point of the entire new testament? Yes...try hard and do Good things, but honestly, He LOVES us where we are. That doesn't mean we can't change, after all, "Go and sin no more", but damn...how do people forget that He loves us right now, right as we are? As Christians we're often sucked into the idea that our beliefs are right now, always right. And we spend so much time and energy being angry that other people don't line up with our beliefs. Ouch! We deny that he loves and died for everyone else on the planet (God so loved THE WORLD...not just me, but everyone) If he died for each of us...he died for Me, as I am. Me, knowing all the petty things I don't let go of. Me, broken and unhealed. 

Diana told me once that I can let go of Melissa-broken and become Melissa-healed. Love does that for a person, heals them. It allows us to love ourselves, forgive ourselves, to forgive those who've hurt us. Love from your husband/wife/SO, love from your children, love from friends and family, dog or cat, but all that love is conditional. It's so hard not to live and love conditionally. But God loves us, all the time, unconditionally. He loves us where we are, right now, regardless of what is in our hearts or in our lives. He wants what is best for us, hence the entire old testament, but never forget that the story of the new testament is Love.