“..but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!” Psalm 18. //
Have you ever been offered something you felt guilty about receiving? ‘If the giver knew your whole story, maybe they wouldn’t be giving this, or choosing me, or spending time with me’ type thing?
Ever fallen into the whole ‘I’m not good enough’ for it or her or him or this thing?
I wonder…. Is it even our choice to decide that, or to make those calls?
Jesus, I think, knew we’d struggle with this, he knew it would hinder us, holding this view of ourselves; it prevents us receiving love, but it actually prevents us offering it too.
The upside-downness of Jesus is that he comes IN to our story with all the knowledge of it – the shameful secrets and the broken discarded pieces – his knowledge of us goes beyond even, our own.
He comes in, with nothing but grace for the mess, love for the fear, healing for the brokenness – in the hope that we will take him up on it, and be transformed.
He transforms by meeting us here and now. He’s not waiting for us to become ‘good enough.’ It’s our walking and conversing with him; our observing who he is whilst we stand within his warm presence that changes us.
It’s surprising indeed, because it’s contrary to what we may believe of ourselves – and that, is the very reason we need him. Choose to walk with, choose to accept the gift. Hes not waiting for good enough or together enough.
He’s here for now, for it is only now that we will find him.
©
anne-marie elizabeth 