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As sound asleep as one can be, I was curled up in a bundle of blankets in dreamland. Suddenly, I felt a gentle push. “Queenie, you need to wake up. Come be with me!” And so pajama’d, groggy, I slipped downstairs, hand in hand with my precious little granddaughter and we had a cup of tea together as is our custom, sitting as close as we could in an overstuffed chair. What a deeply heart-filling weekend I had cherishing every moment we had together.
As an older woman, I know that the thing she needs the most—and that I still need, is that unshakeable, strong, steadfast love that will hold her through all the storms and seasons of her life. And so I tell her, over and over again in a million ways. I remember all too well my littles, become teens and then adults and how they longed to know they were lovable to someone in the world who would stick with them their whole lives.
“Mama, do you still love me when I make such stupid mistakes?” My sweet teenager, many years ago, was curled up on the couch in an almost fetal position, deeply regretting something she has done and condemning herself over and over again for not refraining from the foolish behavior.
“I love you if you had made 10,000 mistakes. I love you because you are mine. I love you even in spite of the mistakes you will make the rest of your life. You are so precious to me, I can hardly refrain from kissing your sweet head a million times right now.”
A tiny smile curled her lips. I stroked her hair and told her that God’s love became more precious to me each day, because the older I got, the more I sinned, even when I wish I could be good. And this truth made me love Him for His gracious love given freely every single day.
The truth is, all of us know that deep inside we are broken.
We want to be good, to practice patience, to be generous of heart, yet, our petty selves accuse us of countless ways we fail to live up to our own standards on a daily basis. And we know we fall short in a thousand ways of God’s ways for us. But now that I am 68, I have learned that His love for me is beyond measure, His forgiveness already extends to every day of my life. His mercy is never ending. This truth has changed my life. No matter what I do in a day, he still loves me, forgives me, wants to be in relationship with me.
Just this morning, I was awakened by a sunrise outside the bedroom window. Pink and coral shadows danced on the clouds and seemed to say, “This day is holy, a day to celebrate, because I am here. My love and mercy are the starting points of your day. Remember me and live in my joy.” We walked in the fields as the sun set. Sunrises and sunsets speak to me of God’s presence.
And then I remembered one of my favorite verses that speaks to me every time I see a beautiful sunrise, and I told Samuel and Lilly that the sunrise and sunset were God’s whispers that He loved them and made the sky beautiful to remind them. And I have shared this verse so many times.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
The Steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning. Every single morning when we awaken, God’s mercy sees our frailty and provides for a covering of grace through every moment we fall short of perfection. Every day, we can live in the freedom to know we are forgiven.
This profound truth is so vitally important to being able to love God fully, and to live in the deep joy and freedom He wants us to experience every day.
The truths of His forgiveness written in God’s Word will transform your life every day. His life exchanged for your life means you will never have to feel separated from Him again, but every day, you can curl up in His abiding love, walk in His gracious mercy and breathe free from the burden of guilt. Our heavenly Father waits to show you His goodness because it is at the very core of His heart. And that you will know His unconditional love.
It is my hope and prayer that everyone who studies these profound truths will understand and experience His complete forgiveness of every sin you will ever commit, every flaw, every imperfection and that you will live in the peace His spirit brings to carry us through every day until we see Him face to face.
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