Fourth grade. Mclaurin Attendance Center. Star, Mississippi. About ten yards into the woods on the north side of the playground. A few girls with flowers in hand 🌸 would pick one petal at a time. He loves me. He loves me not. As the last petal fell to the ground we would in fact know who he liked based on this little test we trusted to be scientific or superstitious or whatever it was — but it was so. The others would be bummed that she was the lucky one. Then the chase was on. The boy who’s heart we all wanted had zero knowledge of the extensive testing we had just undergone concerning his fate, had better run for his life! 

 

I’m sure if we all dig deep enough in the files of our memories we each have some type of story we recall of playing He loves me! He loves me not! 

 

Many of us have also wondered this same question at times in our lives about God. Does He love me? Have I messed up too badly now? Have I made my bed and now I must lie it so much so that I have lost His love even? Shame seeps in and fills every crevice of our souls before we know it. We think, how can a Holy God love someone like me?  

Yet for others, we doubt His love as we look around at such a world filled with hate and crime and sickness. And we ask, “How can a loving God let all of this happen?”  

There are all kinds of ways we play He loves me. He loves me not. with God.

Whatever grown up kind of angst you are feeling as you play this not so fun version of the game that seems worlds apart from the angst under the trees on the playground, consider this verse…Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This tells me two things:

1- He gave His very life knowing and even while we were sinning and betraying God. I’ld say He loves us ANYWAY! 

2- He didn’t just say He loved us ANYWAY but He showed us by putting love in action and did something that would solve all of our problems. He died in our place so that we might live free from and above sin. I’ld say He loves us! 

What more do we need to know that He loves us? There are hundreds of other scriptures that could help convince you of this central truth.  

That is why I’m writing love ANYWAY and this next devotional I believe is going to rock your world like it is mine as I write it. Be looking for it as I am praying it will hit the shelves in the fall of 2018!  

Until then follow along, subscribe to the blog so you can get in on some of the previews of the book as I blog bits and pieces of it and we all learn together more and more of how God loves us ANYWAY and how we can in turn love others ANYWAY!  

Happy Monday!  

God is Love is Happy!  

G=❤️=😃 

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happygirl18 conference with Terry Savelle Foy!! Until next time, remember “Oh well, happy ANYWAY! applies to just about everything and when it doesn’t love ANYWAY does! }