I was in the youngest boys cabin this year at youth camp. While that is always an interesting experience it was made even more interesting because of one of cabin’s occupants. It took me until the end of the week to understand most of what he was saying—except for one thing, and that one thing will forever be branded into my memory. Every night for at least an hour after lights went out I would hear, “Cown-slur, cown-slur!” I said something like, “What do you need?” The reply was always the same, “I miss my doggie.” What can you say to a boy missing his dog? I said, “I’m sure he misses you too, now go to sleep.” After the tenth time the first night I stopped replying and counting—although, if you figure at least ten times a night for six nights I heard his proclamation of love for his dog a minimum of sixty times. You know what? I am thoroughly convinced that that young lad missed his dog!
In the same way I am thoroughly convinced that God loves me. He tells me so with more regularity than a lonely boy at camp missing his dog. It is in the sunshine when I am really tired of the dreariness. It is in the little prayer answered. It is in the big prayer answered. It is in the love and support I receive from my wife. It is in the hugs from my kids and the laughs we have as a family. It is in one person saying that kind word that makes me forget about the frustrations preceding it. In each and every case and hundreds more throughout my day God is saying “Wade, Wade…You know what? I love you!” and five minutes later, “Wade, Wade…You know what? I love you!” and five minutes later…
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created (James 1:17-18)
I guess if you’re not looking you could miss some of those. However if you’re still not convinced there are more blatant reminders. The most obvious is God sending His Son to be our salvation. The second is His sending of the Holy Spirit so that He could be with us all the time—He loved us so much that He wants to live in us and actually be part of us. I would call that some unfathomable love!
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit (1 John 4:13).
By the way (Insert your name here) God loves you! Just in case you missed it.
Wade McKnight