Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Security

This one is about knowing that you are loved, and I've passed it on as-is from Gary Chapman:

Living Love by Gary Chapman [Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com]

Bedtime Stories 
I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the present
nor the future, nor any powers, neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
—ROMANS 8:38-39 

When my grandchildren were toddlers, I read many books to them about farms, the alphabet, and how to have good manners. A more subtle theme among children's picture books is unconditional love.
"Mama, do you love me?" a child asks her mother. "How much do you love me?" a bunny asks his father. With a variety of settings and characters, countless books represent children asking, "What if I ran away? What if I hurt you? What if I traveled to the moon or broke a vase or hit my sister? Would you still love me?"
"Yes," the parent says. "I will love you no matter what. I will always love you."
These cozy bedtime stories reflect a universal need that we never outgrow: the need to know that someone, somewhere, loves us without restraint or condition.
What a gift we give each other when we communicate that kind of love every day. We might not say it with words. In fact, we might choose to love by not speaking but by being patient in the face of frustration, kind when someone is rude to us, or humble when it would be easier to talk about our  accomplishments. But every time we are purposeful about making love a way of life, we are affirming what we each need to hear—and what God speaks to us every day: You are loved. No matter what. Forever and always.
Thought
How would truly believing God loves you—no matter what—change your thoughts and actions in the next twenty-four hours?

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