I (Tracy) can’t wait for you to read our guest contributor’s piece this month!  I’ve been anticipating the day I would be able to share my dear friend’s piece. If you know Judy Maldonado, you love her. She is kind, compassionate, funny, diplomatic, & smart. She loves the Lord, and it shows in her every day actions.  So snuggle up and see what the Lord put on her heart well in advance of this season of slow down and stay in.  Perhaps the Lord knew we’d all need to immerse ourselves in His love to get through our current Covid-19 plight.

Sitting in a counselor’s office I was asked to answer a ridiculously easy question, “What are a few things you love about your daughter?”

When I finished listing my top 40 and looked over at my daughter’s face, her eyes were wide.

The counselor asked, “Did you know your mom thought these things about you?”

I immediately thought, “Of course she does. How could she not?”

But my jaw dropped as my daughter slowly shook her head, “No, I had no idea.”

Those few words shook me. How could this amazing girl, my firstborn child, my pride and joy, not know how incredible I thought she was? How could she not grasp I was head over heels in love with her?

As I spent time thinking over this later, it hit me. I do the same thing with my Father. When I make mistakes or when I feel I’m not doing the things I should- having time with Him in the morning, ending my days with reflection and prayer, spending time in the Word- my natural reaction is to think, He must be so disappointed in me. On some level He probably loves me a little less right now. Perhaps I’m not on His priority list, because He’s busy with people who are better at being Christian than I am.

But if I think about His love for me, that the Word tells me is even bigger than my love for my daughter, then I know this is how He really feels:

He loves me with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

He pursues me with goodness and unfailing love. (Psalm 23:6)

He delights in every detail of my life. (Psalm 37:23)

He is merciful and compassionate to me, and He is slow to get angry with me. (Psalm 145:8)

As I read about God’s love for me in His word, I am blown away.  Over 120 times in the NLT translation, the word “unfailing” precedes a reference to God’s love for His people. His love is unfailing. We didn’t earn it. We do not deserve it. We can’t outrun it. We cannot lose it. We cannot hide from it. We can’t run out of it, and we cannot do anything to ever lessen it. We. Are. Loved.

I wish I could get my daughter to see that- to see how I love her with an unfailing love.  I love her even when her actions disappoint me, when she does things I know are not living up to her true potential, when she makes bad choices, and even when she chooses to push me away. I love her. Period.

But I’ve never thought about how my Father loves me in that same way, but better. Romans 8:38 tells me there is absolutely nothing, on earth or in heaven, in life or in death, not my fears for today or worries about tomorrow, that can separate me from His love. That is a big love.

And on hard days, on good days, on every day, I want to take comfort in the fact I am loved so deeply and unconditionally. It is the only way I can demonstrate true love to anyone else around me.

1 John 4:19 says “We love because He first loved us.”

My pastor once said, “When your relationship with God is better, every relationship in your life is better.”

Those words have rung so true in my life. When I am consistently walking and talking with Jesus, I am a different person. I’m happier. I extend grace easily. I’m not even as upset with my youngest daughter when I have to ask her ten times to put her shoes on.

But there is a tangible difference in who I am when I’m not walking closely with Jesus. When I’m at those times in my life, when I’m just dialing in prayers for things that I need or not taking any time to spend in the Bible. That Judy gets angry quickly, yells more, and just feels overwhelmed and burdened. My family can tell the difference and so can I.

I remember a season years ago that felt very heavy and sad. I was working long hours, felt I barely saw my family, and had no time with Jesus. I came home late one night, and my husband said he had a surprise for me. He led me to our basement, to the closet under the stairs. He opened the door to the closet normally stuffed with chairs and random things the kids “put away” when they were cleaning. It now looked like a completely different space. It was freshly painted, had a lamp and a soft chair with my Bible, note pads, pens, and a small stereo for my worship music.

My husband had made me my own war room. He recognized I was not myself and knew the only way I could find myself was to have intentional alone time with my Jesus. I sat in that sacred space for a long time that night, crying and asking God where He had gone, asking why I felt like I couldn’t find Him.

He led me to this verse, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” Isaiah 30:15.

That verse and truth brought me to my knees. I had been trying to do life on my own- living out of my own strength, and I had just run out. I needed to come back to my source of strength and be saved. I needed to remember I was deeply loved, not because of who I am or what I do, but simply because I am His.

Matthew 12:34 says that “…out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

When I haven’t filled my heart daily with the Word of God and spent time in His presence, I have no overflow of His love in me to pour into others. But when I am spending time with Him and living in His peace, I am able to love people in a way that shows them they are truly loved.

So, how do we address the question we began with, Do they know they are loved?

We can’t make anyone know they are loved, but we can choose to consistently and relentlessly love them the way we are loved. Regardless of whether they accept it or how they react to it, regardless of whether they even deserve it, we are called to love. Love them so well they can’t help but draw closer to the Source of our love.

How do you feel God calling you to respond in this moment? Draw near to Him. Experience His love. Freely give love away. Create your own war room. Spend time in His presence.

We pray the Holy Spirit beckons you to respond in the most appropriate way for you, personally, intimately. You are loved!

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