Saturday, August 22, 2009

Living in HIS love without expectations

Just an encouragement to continue to live in HIS love....


** "Do you realize how much you are loved (by God)? Do you have the experience of how deeply, tangibly, relentlessly, passionately, unconditionally you are loved? Do you realize--not in a theoretical way, but in a profoundly human way--how the love of Jesus Christ is so passionate whether you are in a "state of grace" or disgrace, whether you live up to the expectations of His Gospel or you don't, do you realize that God loves you beyond unworthiness and worthiness, beyond fidelity and infidelity, that He loves you in the morning sun and the evening rain, without caution, regret, boundary, limit, breaking point,--no matter what's gone down He can't stop loving you. Can you see, right now, Jesus looking into your eyes and saying, "I have a word for you, and my word is this; are you listening, I love you, I love you no matter, I can't stop loving you.""The craziness of thinking we must become worthy of God's love. If we will just let God be God--a Savior of unbearable forgiveness with infinite patience with a love that keeps no score of our wrong-doing. For us, love is a virtue. For God love is His identity." **

Speaking of "keeping score", I have been greatly influenced by this from Thomas Merton speaking to one of the brothers at the monastery;**

"If I make anything out of the fact that I am Thomas Merton, I am dead. And if you make anything out of the fact that you are in charge of the pig barn, you are dead."

Merton's solution? "Quit keeping score altogether and surrender yourself with all your sinfulness to God who sees neither the score nor the scorekeeper but only his child redeemed by Christ." **

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