You Matter....

Today was "Sanctity of Life Sunday".... it rolls around once a year as a reminder that we need to hold the life that God gives us sacred. We were reminded of all the verses in the Bible that tell us that life begins before birth and were reminded how we rejoice at the news of the Haitians pulled out of the rubble, still alive after all this time because it is inherent in our nature to value life. It is only our society that teaches us to devalue life. I sat in my chair listening to my pastor speak and he read the usual verses, that I have heard time and time again.

I am going to digress here just a bit and tell a story about my sons Becher and Drew. When I was pregnant with Drew, Becher was just three years old and he used to ask me all the time when the baby was going to come live with us. He would come up and rub my big pregnant tummy and say, "I miss the baby.... when is the baby going to come?" Shortly after Drew was born, I attended a "Sanctity of Life Sunday" just like today and Becher heard mention of the word "abortion" in the service. He asked me after church what it was and I told him that some people don't want to have a baby and when the baby is still in their tummy, they kill it and have it taken out. He was astounded and asked how and why that could happen. I explained to him that it is because those people don't truly believe that it is a baby.... that they are confused and that they believe that it is just "tissue". Well, "tissue" in our house had a whole different meaning than how I used it that day and Becher replied, "oh mommy, when Drew was in your tummy, I missed the baby, I NEVER thought he was toilet paper." Even at his young age he knew the value of a life.

It's a story that makes me smile so, I wanted to share even though it is only by a large stretch that it connects to the rest of what I have to say. Now back to my original thought!

My pastor today read Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Now, we know that God was speaking to Jeremiah in this verse however, we also know that according to Acts 10:34 that God is no respecter of persons. This means that Jeremiah is no different from us.... God knew us before we were born and even before our conception.

I have read this verse dozens of times over my life and although it is a good verse, it never really stood out to me until today. Today I heard the verse and God spoke very clearly to me, "I have known your beginning to your end, I formed you, I planned you.... there is nothing you can do to disappoint me." Wow, that is so far removed from the way I was taught as a child and even into adulthood.

Think about how Satan uses our guilt to keep us from growing in the things of God. If he can make us feel unworthy then we may not even try to press in, to learn, to grow. We live hanging onto the hem of our salvation instead of living in the fullness of God.

I am in no way saying that this gives us free license to misbehave. What this knowledge does is invites us to be closer to God, to truly realize what He thinks of us and how much He loves us.

I want everyone who reads this to think a new thought.... every mistake....every sin....He knew. Grasp hold of that. Every one...He knew it not only before you did it but, before He even formed you! Yet, He made you anyway, He wanted you for Himself anyway, He longs for fellowship with you anyway and He died for you anyway. It wasn't some nebulous sin that He died for on the cross.... He died for yours knowing exactly what those sins would be. Despite your errs, you are His chosen one and you matter... more than anything.

I hope you know how much your are loved.