I tucked her under my arm and drew her close to my heart as I whispered,
This is enough, God. This is enough. This is real love… true love; love not based on performance or preference but loved based on personhood… on the truth that I am her mother and that fact, alone, is enough to warrant her affection.
Thank God she doesn’t wait until I get it right—until I jump through enough hoops or stroke her ego in hopes of negotiating her favor. She gives me her favor regardless. She loves me, most days in spite of me, because God has put it in heart to do so. He’s put it in the hearts of my other children as well.
I am a well-loved mother. A well-loved wife. A well-loved daughter. God has surrounded me with a select circle of connections to remind me, in part, of his unconditional love toward me. Through them, I come to better understand God’s “enough.” His enough continually spills forth on my behalf because I am his child, his created delight, his joy and his crown. Never once has he forgotten me, neglected me, forsaken or abandoned me.
God’s love isn’t based on my performance or on his personal preferences, but rather based on my personhood… on the truth that I am his child and that fact, alone, is enough to warrant his everlasting affection toward me.
God loves me because it is in heart to do so, and tonight I am grateful for his unchanging nature and all-powerful ability to keep to the task of loving me, preferring me, especially on days when it seems that the world prefers otherwise. Today, I stand on the truth of who I am in Jesus Christ.
Loved.
Chosen.
Adored.
Preferred.
Royal.
Dear.
Heiress.
Forgiven.
Beautiful.
Righteous.
Needed.
Longed for.
Bride.
This is who you are as well. The world may beg to differ, may stand in line to voice otherwise. I understand. But rather than believing them, would you be willing, even as I am willing, to cast those lies into the pit of hell where they belong and, instead, cloak ourselves with the mantle of what our King has to say in the matter? His witness is the one that counts, friends, not the testimonies of those whose “love” for us is tainted by fleshly focus and personal preferences.
We will never be able to exceed people’s expectations of us. Most days, we’ll fall quite short of what they want, but with Jesus, we find our balance. We exceed human expectation because his expectations for us aren’t based on us, but rather on his Spirit living within us. And when we walk in cooperation with his Spirit, when we understand that “greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world,” then we are able to walk above and beyond the expectations that are being leveled in our direction.
True love comes from God. Every now and again, we taste it via humanity. Most often, though, we miss is because of humanity. If we’re not careful, we’ll “live” there… settle in there, instead of settling in the place of sacred understanding. This is a dismal response to the truth of what God intends for our lives.
I want to love truly. I want to be truly loved. I want to love God’s way; I want to be loved God’s way. And while I cannot control the loving responses of others, with God’s help, I can control mine. I want my love to be enough for my children, my spouse, my friends, my world. I want them and you to be able to tuck my love in tightly and voice it as enough—as comforting, as peaceful, as certain, and as re-assuring as you need it to be.
I don’t want to base my love for you on your performance or my personal preferences; instead, I want the fact of your personhood—your “created in the image of God” status—to be the basis for my affection. I’m not fully there, but I am working on it. By God’s grace and through his Spirit, true love will become my norm rather than my exception.
It’s been a hard day to love, friends. At this point, I’m not sure how to move beyond my feelings, but I am confident of this…
I’ve got a family who loves me, and a God who loves me all the more, and it is enough to carry me through the night. The sun will rise in the morning to bring its witness to the day, and the Son will rise in my heart to bring his witness to my authenticity.
And that is enough. He is enough.
Living in his enough this night…
PS: I need your help… ASAP… I scrolled back through some of my previous older posts (from August of this year backward and am noticing that my comments are being deleted by someone). I have a suspicion it’s coming from a URL in Mountainview, California. I’m not sure this is a blogger issue or not, but if this is coming from another hacker, I’m on to you and will continue to pursue this until I get an answer. Anyone else having this issue?
Copyright © December 2009 – Elaine Olsen
Elaine, thanks for the reminder that God's love for us is not based on our performance. I've struggled with performance based tendencies for years. It's just something I have to continually battle and continually remember the truth — that I am God's dearly loved child and He loves me in spite of all my weaknesses.
Blessings on your week, friend!
This blesses me, and you are the second blog I've read in the past hour that is touching on a similar topic, and I had written down something our pastor said in his sermon this morning and had planned to at least post the quote tonight: God's love for us is not based on our performance but on His character. He IS love.
He also went on to say that Jesus resides at Hobby Lobby, but that's another thing altogether! 🙂
Praising God that He loves us for us, not for our performance. You are an amazing woman of God and I so love your blog, the truth in it. Thank you for sharing and being real.
Beautiful, Elaine. Thank you for reminding us that God's love is more than enough…based on who we are (His), not what we do!
Know that you are a precious friend, and a dear sister…
Love you,
Beth
Oh, yes. It is enough. Only He is. While I fall short of others' expectations, I also find myself often disappointed in folks too. Then I remember…oh, yeah–I only have One enough.
Sounds like you are in a sweet season, Faith Elaine!
Love to you.
You have been drinking my koolaid again, my friend. Beautiful, encouraging words.
Thank you.
Thank you for this lovely post.
Elaine, you said: "it is enough to carry me through, HE is enough".
AMEN. That's all I need. Praise the Lord for HIS goodness and grace to be enough.
Amen, His love is more than enough.
Loving BEYOND and IN SPITE OF the outward, is both crucial and HARD. Allowing ourselves to BE loved – ACCEPT LOVE – that way is sometimes even harder. Oh, what a performance-based people are we!
It's only when we do accept it, and offer it to others, that we really get a glimpse at love in its truest form.
Loved this post…love you. Oh, and I love that picture of you two…speaks volumes!
Melinda
P.S. No hacker problems with my blog so far…FB, however, is another story. Ugh.
Once again, you've said it beautifully; He is not only enough, He is more than enough. I am so blessed with love of husband, family and friends, but once again this season, as I watched a "Living Christmas Tree" presentation yesterday, I am overwhelmed with God's love for me.
P.S. I don't think I've had hacker problems, but haven't reviewed my blogs from earlier in the year.
I was just talking to one of my girls yesterday about loving..period.
It is so hard when those we are loving are not snuggling in to our love. And yet He calls us to love as He loved….how impossible that would be without the love He has shed abroad in our hearts.
Sorry about the hacker…if they can get to your comments can they also get into your posts?
Hope you get this figured out.
Isn't it great to know that we are loved! Sometimes I can just hardly take it in how much Christ loves me. Sometimes, a lot of times, I feel so unworthy.
Thanks for the reminder that His love is not dependent upon anything we can do or say. Thank God!!!
Love to you and your precious little Girl!!! She is just adorable. I can't hardly stand it!!!
Love you sister!!
Beautiful message Elaine.
Indeed HE is enough!
Blessings…
Beautiful, Elaine. … I linked to it from my Soul Food section today.
So sorry you've been having trouble with others messin' with your blog again!
Elaine, this is just so in-line with my thoughts of late. Yesterday I wrote on being "Chosen" and today is about "A New Attitude". My heart has been encouraged and blessed by my visit here.
"And all of You
Is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in You is more than enough" (Jeremy Camp)
Hugs to you today,
Joy
This is always something I struggle with so it was a blessing to be reminded of the grace of God's love for me.
No problems with comments at my blog. I hope you are able to resolve the issue.
You made me feel love today and I needed that:) Your daughter is so precious–love her smile:)
Thank you for the wondeful reminder. Blessings
Elaine, thank you. You always put it so beautifully.
I love when God plants a word in our heart to meditate on. He did this with me last year with the word "Enough". God's Love is enough, His provision is enough. What an Awesome God we serve!
Blessings,
Marita
You wrote so beautifully about who the scriptures say we are. And I join you in your quest to accept others that way, not basing our love and acceptance on performance or expectation. I'm encouraged.
What a lovely post and I adore the photo. I love the list and thank you for the reminder that I am called by those names as well. There are times that I have a tendancy to call myself names other than what God calls me!
I too want to love truly and to be truly loved!
I do love you my friend!
Love. There's a lot of good stuff in that word. Lots of good stuff.
I've noticed that my comments disappear after awhile, too. I thought it might just be a blogger thing. Let me know what you find out!
Prayers and blessings,
Rebecca
Elaine,
Isn't it so true that often we allow the world to cover or hide or blind us to God's love? We are so loved and yet we don't always live in that love.
I haven't looked at my comments but I did notice before I took Sitemeter off my blog that I had lots of visits each day from someone in MountainView California. Don't know if that helps or not.
Leah
You wrote:
"I am a well-loved mother. A well-loved wife. A well-loved daughter."
Loved this post – it reminded me that I am the BELOVED of CHRIST – and it's not based on ANYTHING that I have done or could do – it's based on the CROSS alone.
Last year I read a book called:
Life of the Beloved
by Henri Nouwen
It is about knowing in our own heart how much God really and truly does love us… it was a book that changed my life – because for the first time I really understood and RECEIVED that love of God – knowing that it was not based on my performance – but on the work of the Cross alone!
Your entire post also reminds me of EPHESIANS chapter 1 – where it tells us that we are:
Blessed
Chosen
Adopted
Accepted
Redeemed
Forgiven
Thanks for sharing – I have missed being here [and everywhere else for that matter] 😉
Love to you……..
Choosing JOY, Stephanie
While reading your post I was reminded of something my four-year-old granddaughter said to me today. I was kissing her on the forehead and she looked up at me so sweetly and said, "Granmamma…you can kiss me all you want!" I can tell you that melted this Granmamma's heart! I often feel the kiss of God in the words of this child. And truly, for me, it's "enough"!
You put it so well today!
God bless!
Marilyn
Beautiful truths…beautifully shared….
wifeforthejourney:
Thanks for your faithfulness in sticking close to me. Today is another day where I've been taking stock of all the good things in my life, and God's grace to me in the middle of this life.
I need you by my side and on my side. I'm so glad you're mine!
Love,
Billy
Hey Mrs. Elaine, I did need to hear about His love for me again, and that reminds me that nothing can separate me from His love. I am getting close to my due date now, Jan 30th, and this so far has not been the best month, (maybe it's pregnancy hormones?) but He does love me, this I know…:)
katiegfromtennessee
This post is so touching to me today. My daughter turned 17 today and it seems over the last couple of years we are either crying and hugging or fussing and walking away from each but no matter what I always try to make sure she knows I am here. That is the same lesson God is teaching me is that even when I fall and walk away from Him He is still there waiting on me to come back.
This was beautiful Elaine. Isn't it amazing how our little ones love us so? It's such a sweet time of parenting.
Great reminder of how the Lord loves me too.
I hope you included me in your circle of people who adore you.
xoxoxo
So good.
Thank you, Elaine.