Sometimes, tears come quickly, while words come slowly. That’s what it has been like for me, the first part of this summer. I’m not sure why. I’ve been enjoying the glorious weather, warm waters to swim in, camping, and being with friends and family.
But in addition to these pleasantries, it was like some kind of switch flipped in my brain, and I was suddenly swamped with memories. Both good and bad. Forget memory lane – this was a vast network – hundreds of winding, meandering paths.
I realized a few things. They came together, began to make sense, and were shed with new light.
I speak often of God, the Holy Spirit; His comfort, and His healing. I honestly didn’t intend for this blog to be so full of spiritual themes. But I can’t help it.
He has been with me in a special way, lately. I sense His love, and His kindness. He loves me in a way that no one else has ever been able to match. He knows what I need, at every moment.
He gently prods away at my past, helping me to understand it. I feel His compassion. He cares too much about my hurts, to let them lie buried forever. He reminds me of them and is showing me how to heal.
And perhaps most importantly, He tells me that I am enough. He sees my innermost thoughts and feelings as worthy of respect and love. He reminds me to be careful, who I allow in.
I know that opinions are divided on the book/movie “The Shack,” even among Christians. However, there is one thing that I think the story got right. In several instances, God is quoted as saying: “I’m particularly fond of him,” “I’m particularly fond of her,” etc., until the main character comes to realize that this God is “particularly fond” of every person.
Lately, this truth has gotten down into my heart. I feel like I am His favorite. Like His entire attention is on me. And if there is one message I would like you to take from this post, let it be:
God is particularly fond of you. You are His favorite. His entire attention, is on you.
His way of relating to you may be different from what I have described here, just as I relate in different ways to each of my two sons. One is an energetic chatterbox who tells me everything that is on his mind at every moment. He wants me to listen to his stories and loves it when I do activities of all kinds with him. My other son talks less, but has a sly sense of humor, and has been cracking me up ever since he could string two words together. He likes it when I tickle him, and he’ll often just come and lean up against me, or climb onto my lap and lounge there. They are so different, and I delight in them both.
So it is, I believe, with God. All of His children are so very different. And He delights in each one.
If you’re hurting, He wants to bring you healing and freedom. If you have been abused, or are being abused, He can show you how to get free. If you hate yourself, He can reveal the goodness inside you that He created and knows so well. If you are stricken by fear, He can become your safe place – the one place where you can rest.
I will leave you with a song that has become my summer anthem. I feel as though it is the cry of my own heart, through the mouths and instruments of other people…as if I could have written it myself.
It’s hard to believe in the goodness of God, until you have experienced it yourself, or, until you hear the stories of people who have encountered Him. People who have tasted, and seen, and invite you to do the same. This is the strength of our stories. Our testimonies. Share yours. Listen to those of others. It’s all just too good to miss.
And remember: you’re His favorite.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”
Psalms 34:8 NIV