Arms Spread Wide

I look at this and see a girl who loves the people who love her back. Who constantly reminds herself that Jesus loves her more than anyone else could ever love her. I see bright eyes that light up when she even says the name of Jesus and complete confidence in Him. How is that possible? How can a 3 year old just rest in the fact that Jesus loves us so much that He died for us and that’s that? It blows my mind how simple faith really is. Love Him back, confess, and repent. I’ve made following Jesus hard this past month. I’ve busied myself with life at home that Jesus and God’s Truth have been swept under the rug. Still there, but unseen. Last night, even though I really just wanted to climb into bed and close my eyes, I read the Word to remind myself of His great love, of His desire for us to desire the things of Heaven. Then I read a letter one of the girls had written to me before I left Swazi, she wrote,

“It’s not all about you, life is temporary, so do things that will make God smile whenever He looks at you because soon you will be gone to where you belong.”

I love how the Holy Spirit works through each of us to encourage one another. I so needed these words to be spoken to me, and there they were, written on paper by a girl thousands of miles away that had no idea how much the Holy Spirit truly is working in and through her. Do things that make God smile every second of your life here on earth. Not just at church. Not just at work. Everywhere, all the time. Life is temporary, Heaven is eternal. The choices and things I choose to spend my time, money, and energy on here will have eternal implications. We are told to cast out all anxiety. Because anxiety is simply just worrying about what we don’t know. That’s not faith. That’s not trusting that Jesus knows all, sees all and will bring us through it all. I want to be more like the little one in the picture. I want to run into Jesus’ love and hold tightly to it. I want to trust Him in all things, not just in the little things. I want to stand on the top of the mountain, with my arms spread wide, when I finally finish this race, not because I did it, but because it’s by God grace and strength and patience in my life that I made it through every valley. To Him be all the glory.