Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

Another blast from the past....

You know, it's amazing to me what God teaches you through your children! I was thinking today about an argument that Natalie and I had a while back that ended with her shouting "You don't love me! If you did, you wouldn't be acting like this. You love Clark and Meredith more than me." It grieves me so much to hear my child, whom I've given birth to and would give my life for, saying things like this. I leave feeling like I don't know what else to do to prove to her that I love her.

Today, I was thinking about how hard it is to believe at times that God really does love me. I look at situations in my life and think "God, if you love me, why did you let this happen to me!" I live my life believing that God loves you and you, and everyone else, but I have a hard time making it personal. Wow! Do I sound like Natalie! Here is a Heavenly Father who loves me so much, that He did give His very life up for me. He loves me more than I can fathom. And yes, sometimes there are consequences for my actions and there are trials and tough times to overcome, but none of that changes the fact that He loves me - even when I don't feel it. I can't imagine how it must grieve Him, to see me say - maybe not verbally but with my lack of faith - that He couldn't possibly love me.

I think today, I turned a corner. I do believe Him. Not because I always feel like it. Not because things always go my way. But just because He says so. Because he gave me life. Because He gave me His life. It's the first truth we learn as a child about God and yet one of the hardest to grasp. Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. I hope that today, you know in a more real way that He really does love you and that you will live in the freedom of that knowledge, knowing there is nothing you can do to make him love you more and nothing you can do to make him love you less.

Thank you God for children and how you teach us about yourself through them.

Karen Dixon
2/18/05