“God loves you, a lot” was the text message that I got from a friend a few months ago. I was really struggling with some things in my life and out of the blue this text appeared.
During this holiday season, there will be many reasons for thanksgivings, but also a time of hurried stress with too much to do. Tough family relationships typically don’t magically heal during the holidays adding even more franticness and despair to our every day life. The holidays are hard when you’ve lost someone dear. My father died two days before Thanksgiving in 1980 and my mother died five days before Christmas in 1990. It’s always a tough time of the year for me.
“God loves you, a lot” recognizes that our love as humans will always be flawed. We can never love another completely, always, without wavering, like God loves us. Ever since Adam and Eve and the Fall, our human relationships are broken; we give human love to each other, but we often withhold our love, too.
This holiday season, instead of second-guessing how we feel about each other as humans with our fickle and imperfect love, ask yourself the greater question: “Do you believe that God loves you?” I know that even when I don’t feel particularly loved, or loving, my human love is not the most important thing in my relationships. The most important love is rooted in my relationship with God.
During this holiday season, I hope that you will have a wonderful time with family and friends. But the weariness of the season may consume you, and the outward happiness of others may even sadden you. Human relationships may be less than the ideal. Just start each day remembering:
“God loves you, a lot”
My prayers are for you to have a great Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas Season!
Blessings,
Agatha