(I’m kind of excited about this post.)

I don’t do everything right.
It’s true. And God isn’t shocked. At all. Neither is He disappointed. At all. And never was.

I read an awesome book once “Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus” (truly amazing book) The authors point out that in the beginning God gave one commandment to perfect people who knew Him personally. Our best case scenario, and we fell. Then, just one book later, in Exodus, He gave us ten commandments. Of course, if we couldn’t keep one, ten was not even a question.

By the time we got to Deuteronomy there were hundreds. I believe this to be proven out time and time again in Paul’s writings; the law was there to underscore one thing. We are completely unable to be perfect. We need Him.

This was no surprise to Him. “Without Me you can do NOTHING.” He said.

Before a single command was given, He expected us to need Him in this way. He put into motion a plan to save us from ourselves before the earth was even created. This shows me that He doesn’t think we are horrible creatures who can’t pull it together!

He “remembers our frame. He is mindful that we are but dust.”

How refreshing! Enjoy being dust my friends. We can’t change it. And He chose not to change it. He chose to cover us, then transform us from the inside. The moment we receive His great salvation, He put His glory in earthen vessels…that He loves. He buries His treasure in a field… that He loves!

I don’t do everything right.

I write when I should be doing laundry. I pay my bills late because I’m scared to look. I sit when it would be more appropriate to stand. I eat junk food because I like it better than carrots. I go to bed too late and pay for it in the morning. I am messy and then get upset when the others I live with are messy. I am very hard on myself, but I rarely see my real flaws. Humph. I’m human.

And He loves me that way.

This morning I was talking to Him, telling Him I needed His help and also I was sorry I hadn’t been great at some things. “What do you think I expect from you before I will help you?” He asked me. “Ummmm. I dunno.” (I rarely answer His questions intelligently. It’s a thing we do.) The truth is, I had the answer the second He asked. As always, because He gave it. “Nothing? You expect nothing?”

Nothing. No excuses, no tears, no explanations or promises. We are human, and He loves that about us. He knows we need His forgiveness, and He gives it. He knows we need His help, and He gives it. We need His resources, His wisdom, His opportunities, His strength.

We can have all His gifts at any time, but first we need to know that what we REALLY NEED is Him. Just Him. And He wants us.

I will be a bit of a mess. Always. The more of a mess you see, the happier you should be for me… because I’m not working so hard to cover it up. I’m letting it show, not because I’m proud of it, but because He already knows about it and He loves me. Not “He loves me anyway.” He just loves me. Ok? Ok.

And you. He loves you. That’s freedom.

We are accepted. We are approved. We are daughters and sons. We are new. We are pure and holy in His eyes, the only eyes that matter. We are LOVED. Nothing will ever change that. Nothing.

Thus concludes my favorite post, so far.