Oh How He Loves

I've struggled so much over recent years to understand the height and depth and length and width of God's reckless love for me.  Lately, though, I'm beginning to comprehend just a little more...thanks to this first little grand baby we welcomed four months ago.

Though he lives 100 miles or so away, I've been able to see him at least every two weeks.  Today as we drove the last few miles to this sweet guy's home (well, okay, our daughter and son-in-law live there too) I was amazed by the excitement I felt.

And when I walked through the door and saw his mom carrying him down the hall I could hardly contain my joy.

The beauty of it is...Sam still doesn't really do too much of anything yet.  I mean, he has a killer grin when you can coax it out of him, but he can't tell me he loves me and doesn't give me presents. Mostly he drools and chews on his hand.

That's okay.  Sam doesn't have to do anything at all to earn my love for him. I honestly think I love him more unconditionally than I did my own children.  It's a new and revealing experience for me, and it's given me a clearer revelation of God's love.

Could I dare to believe God loves me the way Jim and I love Sam?  Could it be He adores me and longs just to hold me?  That He, the sovereign God of the universe, waits expectantly to spend time with me?  It's pretty incredible, but I'm starting to believe that in ways I couldn't imagine just a few months ago.  What a gift.

Lately I've been noticing all the special ways God shows me His favor. Because He created me He knows me more intimately than I even know myself. He knows what brings me joy and loves to give me good gifts.

Operation Christmas Child has been one of those good gifts. God knows I love bargain shopping. He understands that I'd honestly rather treasure hunt to find great deals than just receive donations.  So, week by week He gives me the gift of finding those deals.

This week, for example, I had a blast driving from store to store to hunt for the clearance deals. By His grace I got all these pairs of shoes for a penny each.

And all of these items for .25 each...

God's provided 7,000 stuffed animals and we wait expectantly for Him to provide 23,000 more as we pray.  Each one is a gift from His hand...

from our God who loves me (and each child who will receive a shoebox and each one who is still waiting to receive a shoebox) with an incomprehensible love.

Oh, how He loves...