You Are Greatly Loved

Mamie the Apprentice Wonder Puppy woke up yesterday with an upset stomach. (She's improving nicely now, so no worries.) I went downstairs for coffee and (fortunately) made it back to my bedroom just before she started gagging. 

In a feat of sprinting that will likely never be repeated, I managed to put the coffee on the bedside table, grab Mamie, and get her to the bathroom in time for her to expel the contents of her roiling stomach into the toilet. Twice. 

Her little face told me all I needed to know. She felt terrible and didn't understand it. For the next hour or so, the happiest, bouncingest dog I've ever known snuggled into my lap and slept while I worked. 

It's what she always does when she feels bad or is tired and sleepy. Snuggles with her mama. She does it because she knows she's loved, and being loved is a good, good feeling.

An interesting thing happened at church last night, and it reminded me of how much I'm loved. My pastor was preaching from Daniel 10 and talking about the angel saying to Daniel, "O, man of high esteem." The angel's words meant Daniel was precious to God. 

"Imagine God saying that to you. 'Leanna, you are greatly loved,'" the pastor said. He called a few other people's names and said the same thing to them, too, but all I heard were those beautiful words.

"Leanna, you are greatly loved."

It took my breath away and the force of it astounded me. I know this truth. I've known it all my life, it seems, but coming face to face with such a profound truth again rocked me. 

We sing a song at church that says, "You're a good, good Father. It's who you are... and I'm loved by you." And I am. And we are. 

You, personally and individually, are loved by our good, good Father. 

It was His great love for us, the most contrary of creatures, that caused God to send His Son to redeem us. His great love causes God to provide for us, comfort us, include us in this amazing adventure of following Him.

We are greatly loved by God.  

You are greatly loved by God.

Put your name in this sentence. I, ______, am greatly loved by God. Now repeat that over and over again and revel in that amazing truth, because His great love changes everything. 

Snuggle in to the One who loves you most, the One who loves us most, and remember how very much we are loved, because being loved by God is a good, good feeling. 

And you are greatly loved.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:15 nasb

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The Friday Night With Friends blog post for this week has arrived. Don't miss it.  It's so good. You'll enjoy it! Friday. 6 pm.

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Be sure to check the updated Prayer List 

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In case you missed one of the past week's posts, here are the links: We Won't Be Baptist (or Methodist) in Heaven, Friday Night With Friends: Between the Frying Pan and the Fire, Peace Only Comes When We Have Dealt With Our Sin, Starting a Prayer List, Priorities and the Goat Demons: Who has first priority in your life?, Death is Swallowed Up in Victory, and The Turning Point: A Grateful Heart.

youaregreatlyloved #loveofGod #linesfromleanna #leannahollis