The Reality of His Love

If I had a dollar for every time someone said to me, "God loves you", I would probably be a billionare. Throughout my entire life, I have been surrounded by people--family members, priests, speakers, and friends--who have expressed to me that the God I believe in really does love me. But the strange truth is that I struggle to understand and fully comprehend this reality.

I struggle to fathom why a powerful and mighty and all-knowing God would desire to invest time in someone so small and seemingly insignificant as me. I struggle to see why this just and merciful God would still love me when I so often choose things other than him. I struggle with understanding that God desires to love me more than he desires to use me. I struggle to see how his love for me can still be perpetually unconditional when mine for him is so often conditional.

But it is in these moments that I recall a quote from Mother Teresa in which she says, "Be careful of all that can block your personal contact with the living Jesus. The devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes, to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad, because it is completely the opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more, He longs for you. He misses you when you don't come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don't feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes, He is the one who always accepts you. Only believe; you are precious to him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet, only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest".

And so tonight, instead of trying to come up with a clever analogy or searching endlessly through Scripture for something to inspire you, I leave you with that quote and prayers that you, and I, can truly believe the words expressed in it. Instead of allowing our own fear, guilt, and feelings of unworthiness to grip our faith, let us hand these over to Jesus and truly let him love us.