There’s only one “if” in love. We live our lives as if there were lots of ifs…
if I’m nice. Or beautiful. Or smart.
if I’m worthy
if I behave right
if love even exists
But you know, God is love so that means he gets to define it. And it turns out, there it is right there in the story he gave us through his Word. It exists, and it is ours just because we exist, says our Father and creator.
“Like a shepherd he will tend his flock, in his arm he will gather the lambs, hugging them as they go.” (Isaiah 40:11)
And then came the day that the story got really crazy, and God was born in squalor so we could see what love truly looks like. But that was just the beginning, and we still have trouble making sense of the love God shows through his earthly life, death, resurrection and ascension.
But there is an if. It’s just not the if we expect, and it’s not the if that our cheap imitation love asks.
If we say yes. And if we do, we will never be the same.
I just wish we all could answer the if the way the first human ever asked in the name of our Messiah did, when the angel came to Mary with the news she would carry the child named Jesus.
I will never not be amazed at Mary’s response.
“Let it be with me just as you say.”
When presented with God’s love, her answer was yes.
Here it is. God loves. His love is present, unconditional, unwavering, and complete. We just have to decide if we will accept it. If we will say yes. If we will invite its power to enter into who we are, powering us to become what we were created to be, as Mary did.
Father, your love is so big, so powerful and beautiful that we have trouble understanding. I pray that my kids- and all those I love- would wrestle with your word, pay attention to your story so that we can understand that there is only one if in love. If we say yes. I pray we would put aside our attempts to earn, deserve, bargain or pay for this gift you offer. I pray we would also put aside our attempts to control so that we become fully surrendered to the power of your love in us just as Mary did. Father, may we all say, wholeheartedly for all our days, “let it be with me just as you say.” #prayersformychildren #advent2017
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