XV_Together

XV
Together

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue

but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

About a month ago I was stood at Heathrow Airport waiting to pick up my work colleagues who had just traveled back from Australia. I arrived early so not to miss them coming off the plane and would enable me to have enough time to chill out, and be ready for them coming through the gate. I positioned myself right up by the barrier so they could see me as soon as they came through.
Time ticked on and lots of other people were coming through the gates.
I sat back and watched as people came through the gates, and frequently as soon as people caught the eye of a loved one, their eyes would open up, a great big smile would appear and some of them would run over to greet there loved ones.

It was a priceless reaction when people saw loved ones for the first time. They were hugging and wanting to know if each other were alright, but this was genuine enjoyment that they were reunited, that they were together again.

‘Love Actually’ for me has one of these moments where the film is drawing to a close; where a little boy called Sam knows that a little girl called Joanna, who he has a major crush on, is leaving and all he wants to do is see her.

Against all odds on a busy day at Heathrow airport, after running past security guards, jumping over them, then having security guards run after him, he eventually sees Joanna and calls her name. “Joanna…Sam says” “Sam…Joanna replies” “I thought you didn’t know my name, Sam asks” “Of course I do replies Joanna”. Sam has been caught up by the security guards, so says to Joanna “I’ve got to run”

Upset, the security guards take him back to his dad, thinking it’s all over, knowing he might have missed his chance.
Joanna appears at the gate and walks over to Sam, simply just to give him a kiss on the cheek.
Sam is made up, and jumps in to his dads arms.

The sweet innocent love that this child has is one that God has for us. Like Sam, I can imagine God would do anything just to see us. All God wants to do is see us smiling, to walk beside us, to have a relationship with us. The beginning of 1 John 3 opens with “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God.” You and I are children of God, where we can reach out a hand and be met with a hand of security, strength and sheer greatness.

In Gods eyes you are perfect, and he doesn’t want to hold anything back. We are the ambassadors of Gods love, so it “with actions and in truth”. So wherever you are, sat at work or at home reading this, pause and reflect on the love God has for us knowing that he wants to give you a great big hug.

XV_You

XV

You

‘You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted

from nothing into something’ – Psalm 139 v13-16 (the message)

It will come as no surprise to readers that I don’t know much about babies.

Despite being a teacher, my knowledge and experience with the youngest of the young is woefully poor. Still, I know that as I look at that picture, I am not on my own when I say that I know nothing about this child. I don’t know if it’s a he or a she, I don’t know what their name is, what this child’s life is like now, what kind of person they are – I don’t have a clue!

God knows though.

The psalmist paints a picture of God’s understanding of us in Psalm 139; I think it’s one of the most beautiful psalms to God in the bible. In it he talks about how God saw us being made, how he had every day of our lives written in his book even as we were being formed. How deeply and completely he knows us.

He watched us as we were sculpted...bit...by...bit. He knows us completely. Totally. Inside out.

When God looked at me, like I look at that child up there in the picture, he knew all the things that were going to happen to me. He knew what kind of person I was going to be, he knew what passions I would have, what difficulties I’d encounter, what longings I would have. What my life would be to him.

He knew all of these things and before I’d even drawn my 1st breath he had made his mind up about me, about all of us. It’s often hard to get our heads around this, when we think of all the ways we fall short. But knowing all that lay ahead, he loved us
Them
Him
Her
Me
You

John 3:16 says ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son’ that we might be saved through him. We know that one well don’t we? Sometimes I think we know it too well. I often let it roll off my tongue and slip out of my mouths without really knowing what it means. Knowing what it truly means today to be loved by someone so much that they will die for you.....you as you are....you today.

The Psalmist knew this loving God intimately. He stood in front of his creator, confident in Him and said ‘here I am, an open book, I’m yours, test me, speak to me, lead me on’. He knew that through God we have all been made from nothing into something. Jesus’ sacrifice shows us just how much God valued that ‘something’. I love the words of Martin Smith when he wrote ‘God didn’t screw up when he made you...He’s a Father who loves to Parade you’.
Your Father God made you. He cherishes you, He always has. He made you to be you. He has plans for you. He loves you.