If you found a piece of paper in the yard with scribbles on it, you wouldn’t think much of it and would probably throw it in the trash. But let my grandchild bring me a piece of paper with her scribbles on it and it is a different story then. I would accept it with joy and give it a special place, not because she tried hard, or because it was perfect, but because how much I love her. I loved her before I ever laid eyes on her. I loved her long before I held her in my arms that afternoon for the first time. Long before she could scribble me a picture on a piece of paper, I loved her before it all. Not because of her but because of who she is to me… A part of me, a piece of my child, a piece of me…

  I thought about that last night for a long time… We think sometimes our striving and working will make the Father love us more. We believe if we try hard enough to be better and do better, we will be accepted. When in fact even the best of us, the Bible says, our righteousness is like rags Isaiah 64:6. Just scribbles on a piece of paper. Our best good deeds are trash just laying outside, special to no one. But because of Jesus, the one who loved me before my mom & dad even knew me, before I drew my first breath, before  (I looked like) I had my life together, before my greatest moments and biggest failures, before it all Romans 5;8. Took my place on the cross.

 Jesus paid the debt to the Father that I owed and took the wrath due to me and said I love you because you are mine. I love you because of who you are to me… My Child.  I’ve been given a special place that can’t be taken away John 10:28. There is nothing I can do to make him love me more, and nothing I will ever do to make him love me less. Still, because of his great love and mercy I am accepted in the beloved Ephesians 1:6…. Because it’s not about me, it’s all about him who loved me first 1 John 4:19… We are so loved & there is hope! When you realize this, you look at things a lot differently. You are not “trying to be a better person” you REST. You find joy in rest, you find peace in rest, you find that out of your heart love flows for others in a different way. No longer do you live in fear that maybe you are not enough… You KNOW you will NEVER be enough. But in Christ, The Father sees only his son, the one who is perfect, the one who has made all things right, the one who IS enough, and not all the dirty pieces of paper we try to give him.

If you have placed your faith in Jesus and him alone, you are accepted with joy, and you have no doubt of the Fathers love. He takes our lives and makes something new. Jesus took all my sin & yours upon his shoulders on the cross that we might have eternal life.  John 3:16 Thank you Jesus, that you have loved me through it all and I have been accepted.