God's Love

I know I've mentioned it before, but I LOVE the girls over at (in)courage, especially one of its creators, Holley Gerth.  Their blogs inspire me SO MUCH and give me that extra boost each morning to live beautifully and wonderfully as a daughter of our Most High God.  :0)

Today on Holley's blog, Heart to Heart with Holley, she spoke about God's overwhelming forgiveness and love; she was feeling so down and so full of failure and God spoke to her heart and said, "Daughter, do you know why I wanted you to keep a “good things” journal?  It’s because that’s what My journal about you is like.  If you were to read the story of your life, that’s what you would read.  Not mistakes or failures, but the times you were a blessing, the ways you please Me, the love you show others.  The good things I think about you."  Hearing God's voice in her head made her realize:

"God’s love was so real and strong,
so much bigger than I even imagined.
I realized at that moment that God loves me.
He doesn’t just tolerate me.
He doesn’t just put up with me because I’m a Christian and He has to.
He really, truly loves me."

That made me smile.  :0)

And it reminded me of something else too...on Friday, Emily was the blog writer for the day on the (in)courage blog and, while talking about God's grace, quoted the following:
 

“When I was a child my parents loved me not because I was good,

but because I was Madeleine.”

--Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water

It made me think of my precious nieces.  One is a toddler with equally large amounts of curiosity, brilliance, energy, and molars keeping her up all night.  The other is a newborn whose favorite thing is having middle-of-the-night talks with her mommy.  While others might think they would be overwhelming, I think they are perfectly precious and absolutely wonderful...molars and midnights and all! 

Not because they are good.  (Even though this TOTALLY biased Aunt Jilly thinks they are!) 

Not because of what they do.  (Even though I TOTALLY think everything they do is adorable.) 

But because of who they are. 

They are my sisters'. 

They are my nieces. 

They are my parents' grandchildren and the nieces my hubby spoils. 

And it's amazing to think that is how God feels about us!  Molars and midnights, failures and mistakes and all...just as I love my nieces, God love us...and infinitely more!!! 

"Not because I was good, but because I..."

...am me.

...am His.

:0)