This morning I woke up knowing I needed to spend some quality time with Jesus, knowing that I needed to pray and read His word. But my mind was unfocused, almost fast forwarding through the day ahead. Do you have mornings like this when you can easily put yourself on auto-pilot and go through the motions of a quiet time, only to walk away feeling unchanged and pretty much unaware of anything you read or prayed? I don’t much like mornings like this, but rarely do I consciously do anything to change them. 

Today however, I wanted it to be different. I felt this soft whisper that said “just breathe”. So I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, a few sips of coffee and did exactly that. And prayed “Jesus, I just need you!” And because He is faithful ALL the time – Jesus brought the words I very much needed. I share them today out of obedience to the call on my life to love God and love people. My hope is that these words, the ones I was given this morning, meet you exactly where you are and nourish your soul as they have mine.

Love God and Love People -are the words that filled my head. These words have been a driving and guiding force in my life over the past couple of years. Today, the irony of them caught my attention. I cannot even love God without God. The whisper came again, this time asking “and who is God to you?”

Who is God to me? My God is The God, the One and Only God.

My God is strong, more so than I give Him credit for.

My God is compassionate, more than I deserve, more than anyone deserves or could ever earn.

My God is faithful- ALL the time! Even when I am not. He is always ready, willing and waiting for me to turn around and look to Him. 

My God is full and abundant and better than anyone or anything else.

My God is perfect-ALL the time. He doesn’t make mistakes, He is never late and always shows up.

My God is pure, brilliantly and perfectly pure.

My God is Holy, so completely unlike any other.

My God makes everything possible. There is not one single thing that is too hard for Him.

My God can always be found. Wherever I am, He is there as well because He has graciously given me His Spirit. 

My God gives good gifts. He gives Himself, peace, forgiveness, grace and mercy. But that isn’t enough He has given me a family and some of the most amazing friends on the planet. He gives laughter, joy, beauty, time and rest. Not to mention coffee and chocolate.

My God speaks, through His word, His people and the quiet whisper in my heart, that is when I am quiet and still enough to listen.

My God is free. He costs nothing and only asks for our love and obedience.

My God is the ultimate Maker. He has made and continues to make so many things out of nothing. Just look at the world around us.

My God is creative. He is full of surprises and works in ways I could never imagine. 

My God is a planner. He has had one since the beginning of time. And not just a big picture plan, but a detailed and intimate plan for every detail of our lives. 

My God gives rest. Rest like no other rest for my weary, wandering and tired soul. He slows me down, even stopping me when needed.

My God is patient. Long past the point of any human being ever!

My God loves.

My God heals.

My God restores and rebuilds.

My God holds all authority and power.

My God is eternal.

My God is personal.

My God teaches, leads, grows and challenges me!

My God is passion.

My God is Victorious

My God is Awesome! He gives, provides and fills me. He changes me and uses all kinds of people to share His love and His message. My God has the best family ever and has adopted me into it. My God gave Himself for me. I sit here today a chosen child of God, my sin paid for by His very own blood and life. My God allowed Himself to be beaten, ridiculed, criticized, made fun of, beaten some more, accused, kicked, hit, spat upon, and put to death. Why?

For love, for hope, for freedom, for me, for you, for us. Because He was and is the only way. And the absolutely humbling thing is – He would do it all over again if He needed to. But He doesn’t because His one Perfect sacrifice of Himself was MORE THAN ENOUGH. 

Here I sit writing these words, that honestly are not even mine, but His and I wonder. I wonder what my problem is and why I am so stubborn, insisting on my way when I know His is better. Why do I try to manipulate and control when I know I am not in charge, but He is. Why do I argue, complain, make excuses take the easy way out and continue to sin, when I know my God won’t allow it, but will call me on it every single time! Why do I push forward when He has clearly said “wait”? Why am I afraid when I know He is with me and has led me to this exact place to stand for Him? Why do I fear being different, when I am called to be like Him-different?

Why do I get so caught up with the junk of this world when I know one day it will all be thrown into the fire and not survive? Why don’t I make more time, put in more effort to love like my God? Why do I care more about what people think than what my God knows to be true about me? 

I hate sin. I hate what it does to me, to my family, to my friends. I hate what it has done to this beautiful world my God has created.

Where do we go from here Jesus, I ask? Again He whispers “that’s easy, just follow me”. 
My God can be your God too. It’s easy, all you have to do is follow Him. Matthew 7:7, John 14:6, John 3:16, Matthew 16:14