Everything

“…I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.“ (Jeremiah 31: 3 NKJV)

It was a difficult communion for me. I was being especially hard on myself.

It happened many years ago during a training weekend for leaders in an Austrian ministry. We usually ended the sessions on Sunday with communion.

One of our leaders was hurting. And it was because of me. 

We had a difficult arbitration months earlier. And although the mediation was helpful – and necessary – we both were left feeling misunderstood, even though we both desired forgiving hearts. 

Ministry is a lot messier then we like to think. 

And there I was in the middle of communion. I held the bread. And the little cup of grape juice. “Oh Lord…” I inwardly sighed, “I’m a mess.”

Then I heard His question. It came so fast in my mind that it surprised me:

“Lisa, do you know what I love most about you?” 

I did not expect that question at communion and I was curious where He was going with this. I heard the word “most”, so it had to be one particular thing.

Maybe He loved my tenacity, I thought. 
After all, I’m still in Austria, still serving Him despite difficult people – even when the difficult person is sometimes myself.

I sensed that this was a very critical time to listen. 

I was still.

And then I  “heard” Him. It came quickly. It came from within – from the One who is IN me! 

“Everything,” He said. “ love everything about you.”

This one word pierced my heart so deeply, my eyes filled with tears. And then I smiled. 

Everything.

And I’ll never forget that moment because it was this moment that I experienced His love toward me. He reached into my heart where I was being hard on myself and He cupped my face with His tender hands and He told me He loves everything about me. 

And that day I took the bread and the grape juice under the warmth of God’s transforming love toward me. And I’ll never forget it. 

Lisa D. Meyers

For Reflection

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1 – NIV)  

• How have you experienced God’s lovingkindness drawing you to Himself?

• When have you caught yourself saying, “I know God loves me, but…?” What’s it like imagining not having a “but” in the sentence?