Just Accept

I love to listen to my 4 year old daughter who, without being asked, recounts the reasons why I love her. In addition, she also says "Mama aren't you glad that God gave me to you!" "Mama don't you think that I am SO pretty!" -Of course all of these things are things that she has heard me say to her. Her version of them is much cuter. -Sweeter.

I always giggle when she starts going because her ego is often bigger than she is. But for as much trouble as that could be later, I hope that she never loses her confidence. -We all know how fragile a girl's esteem can be. I'm glad that she is listening to something positive that I am saying.

Here lately, I've been thinking about her faith in what I say and how that compares to our faith in what Christ says. How often we complicate what God has to offer. Mark 10:15 asks us to believe as a child. Yet we demand proof. Oh, how the world has stained our view of what is acceptable and good. Honest and pure. -Something must be earned in order to be given.

We struggle with forgiveness because either we are still sinning or because we can't forgive ourselves. So we can't understand how someone else can simply make white, what we keep trying to scrub and scrub and scrub away. Well, here's a news flash. You and I will ALWAYS sin. He is the only perfect one and if he had the power to make us, he can certainly make us "new". Maybe even shiny.

Maybe we feel so unloveable that we can't fathom why he would love us. Jeremiah 1:5 says that even before he made us, he knew who were and then still chose to make us anyway. Psalms 45:11 says that he is enthralled by our beauty. -"Enthralled" really! I mean just close your eyes and envision Jesus holding you in his hand marveling at your every action.

The Lord doesn't brow beat us with what he wants us to know. He waits patiently for us to just wake up and say "oh yeah!!" "I accept, I accept!" Do yourself a favor and start trying to accept today. It's hard. I know. But pour your heart out and ask him to show you how to do this.

The next time you're alone in the shower, turn your face up to the heavens and say I am forgiven. I am made new. I am alive. I am loved. I am cherished. -add to it any promise that you can. Repeat it. But make sure that you are facing him when you do it. Shame makes us hide away and look down. I was surprised by how much this one simple gesture positioned my heart so that I could get a bit more Jesus in. Turn your face up like you're staring at the sun and just close your eyes and imagine that you are looking in his eyes. Don't argue or make excuses. Just stand there. Facing him. Repeating his promises to you and let his love wash over you.