Dare ya!

I keep hearing Richard's words in my head, "less is more," and after that last blog, you're probably thinking the same thing.  Yeah, yeah, I know, but when my heart is full, it's hard to keep it short and sweet.  However for this blog, I'm going to cut to the chase.  YOU are loved!  For God so loved _____ that He gave His only begotten Son. Go ahead, just put your name right in that blank.  Say it over and over, then look in a mirror and say it again, but don't stop there.  The next step is to believe it!  That's the hard part, at least it was for me, but believing this truth has changed my life!

Yesterday, I was reminded of God's love in a very strange place.  Instead of skipping over that dreaded section of genealogies found in Genesis and Chronicles, I found myself thinking about those names all day.  Countless of men and women, who were fearfully and wonderfully made in our Creator's image and who God knew by name, filled the pages of my Bible and my mind.  That's a lot of names, and He knew each one inside and out.  Amazing!  Then I thought about the women I met earlier this week at the local jail.  I went with the desire to encourage these women with the love of God, yet as I left there it seems that God used these women to encourage me.  Women with a history.  Women whom God knows by name.  Women deeply loved!  I can't even express how this made my heart rejoice.  I didn't see these women as criminals.  What I saw were women with names and stories who longed for love just as I have.  We were no different and in that time of worship, as we sang about our Lord's amazing grace, God's love broke through.  Tears filled the hearts of the broken and we dared to believe, "I am loved!"

Now, go on; fill in that blank with your name and BELIEVE!  I dare you :D