Love and Like...

Last weekend, a close friend treated me to a Women of Faith conference. It's always fun to come together with friends to be filled up with the Word of God. It was a great couple of days, I was introduced to several new speakers I had never heard before and was also taken way back to some of my childhood favorites listening to Amy Grant and Sandi Patti. I was thrilled to hear that Mark Lowry was coming on stage (I know, weird for a women's event), and he did not disappoint- I had the best ab workout in a long time as I laughed until it hurt!

In the middle of my nonstop laughter, I had an "aha moment". He was talking about what a difficult ADHD child he was and the different ways his parents and he interacted as a result. Of course, being a comedian  he had tons of hilarious examples. Mark told of a teacher he had who shocked him one day with the news that God like him.

"I never heard somebody say God LIKED me before, I heard people say God LOVED me. You know, God HAS to love you, I mean, He's God! God is love, isn't that sort of what He does?...There is a difference you know. A lot of people I love, I don't LIKE...But, God LIKES us! God really LIKES you..." - Mark Lowry

Like: to feel attraction toward or take pleasure in, to care for.

Love: Strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.

We all have people in our lives that we do love but we also tolerate them, and not necessarily like them - and their are people who love us but also tolerate rather than like us. 

When you tolerate someone, you avoid all the extras: coffee, nights out, phone calls, events, etc. But, when you like them you are choosing to go the extra mile giving of yourself over and above the norm.

That's what God does for us, he CHOOSES and wants to spend as much time as He can, he gives to us of Himself and blesses over and above the norm.

I know this sounds so elementary  but it's a big deal. I am not making the point to tell my girls constantly that God loves them and LIKES them and that I love them and LIKE them!

One other thing Mark Lowry mentioned that his parents did for him that had a huge effect on him. His parents always told him before he fell asleep that God had BIG plans for him and God was going to use him in a BIG way. He laughed saying that he didn't know if they believed what he was saying- but he believed it!

We have now added that to our bed time routine, after we pray and I lean over to kiss them good night I look into Tenly and Gianna's eyes and tell them, "You are so special, God has BIG plans for you and God is going to use you in a BIG way." I laugh that after I tell her, Tenly says, "Yes, Mommy, I know that!"

Oh, and sometimes I tell myself...I tend to need the reminder that God LIKES me, I am special, and He is going to use me in a BIG way because He has BIG plans for me....

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