Receiving Love

It is a question I often ask of those I meet who are sad, or have mental health problems or disease.  “Do you love yourself?” It is a question I need to ask myself now and then.

Because self-loathing is more common than we would like to think in this age of comparisons, competition, and feeling like we don’t measure up.  It is a barrier to receiving love.

So sometimes, especially on a bad day, I might eye my sixty-some face in the mirror, and say “You are loved.”  And it isn’t because of what I’ve accomplished, or not, or how I wish I looked, or even how I feel.

Because I know deep down that God loves me just as I am.  There is no measurement, no evaluation.  God knows me, God loves me. God lives in me.   In all of my faith journey, I’ve found this to be true, and I believe it with all my heart.

But there are days where I need to be reminded.  To show compassion to myself when I feel cross or frustrated with me.

So in this week where we celebrate the LOVE, the gift of the Christ Child, who IS LOVE, it is good to think on these things.

When we know we are completely loved, love flows out of that knowing.  Love for God, love for others, love for creation, love for those who don’t know love.  This isn’t a sexual love, but a pure love that comes from the God, our Creator.

I also believe we choose love.

I’ve joked that I have just one rule at our house, encapsulated in one word:  LOVE.  We might have different opinions, we might think differently, but we all can choose to love.  Love, as the scripture says covers a multitude of sins.  I love that!

It brings me back to what Jesus said was the most important things.  Love God.  Love your neighbour as yourself.  (illatics mine).

The best rules to live by.

I gratefully receive the gift of love.

I choose to live by love.

I am thankful for the Gift of Love, from God who IS LOVE.

• this is the last of the Advent series for 2019.  If you would like a jpg of these drawings, please e-mail me at grace@gracewulff.com
• Please only use by permission.