Love

I started out with the guilt-shame-fear image of God that was presented to me when I grew up, and am living my way into the God who is love now. And it’s been a huge gift, this transformation.

It takes time for the trust to grow, and God has time. As part of this process, a lot of other changes arrive as “side effects”, when I’m ready. My outward live begins to reflect the inward changes…

I feel like I’m learning good relationship with God, in a safe and loving place where there is room for trial and error. There is room for compassion – I am learning to have compassion for myself as much as for others. There is room for gentleness. I learn to know myself – and God – more and more (the one does not happen without the other).

God is a safe place to be in. God’s love does not manipulate. God does not call guilt trips love. And there is ‘no fear in love’, no coerced obedience or conformity, because that’s not how God operates.

God’s being is love, tenderness, friendship, patience, peace. God is such a good place to be that it’s easy to be there, and then not just easy but desirable. It is like falling in love – with someone who is not ‘messed up in their own special way’… This is someone who will not ever reach a limit in their capacity to love you and be with you. This is love that just keeps getting better and better and better, the more you see of it, the more you live in it.

God sees you as you really are, with the love of the one who made you.

God says,

You matter.

And God says,

I love you.

There’s no condition bound to that. It’s a free gift.

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Nobody can take this away from you. Don’t forget that. 

And if you doubt me, ask God to show you. Find out for yourself. You don’t need to rely on my word for this.