Just the way you are

There's this song on the radio these days that has a tendency to make me burst into tears in just the opening lines. It's a love song, a popular pop culture love song, that's actually meaningful and heartfelt - something we don't see much of these days. The Chorus is what gets me the most:

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Just the way you are. The sad fact is that SO many of us wander this earth questioning our worth and value. We wonder if we're pretty enough, smart enough, skinny enough, masculine enough, feminine enough, independent enough... and the lies of the enemy pervade our very existence. We're so hard on ourselves and we don't even realize it.

And this silly little song gave me a glimpse of how tenderly and genuinely the Father looks at and loves us. I see Him holding our faces in the sweetest way, bringing our eyes to His and Him saying:

"When I see your face, there's nothing I'd change, for you're amazing - JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. For I made you wonderfully, fearfully. I've created you specifically and called you accordingly. You are my child and I love you regardless of what you consider your 'weaknesses' - because I've already overcome all weakness and restored it with My strength within you. I love you - you're amazing - Just the way you are."

The promises of a God faithful and able, keep flooding my mind as I ponder His powerful, untainted, and never ending love...

Promises to give us a hope and a future.

Promises of working for the good of those who love Him.

Promises of peace that surpasses all understanding.

Promises to never leave us or forsake us.

Promises to meet us if we seek Him with all our hearts, all our being.

God the Father is only for our good, though we face many trials and struggles along the way. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. And the trials and the sufferings are doing a work in our hearts because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

In everything - the loss, the disappointment, the confusion, the pain, the suffering, the waiting, the trials of life... He's there, He's working. Though it be a long, grueling process, we consider it pure joy, whenever we face trials of many kinds, because we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

And please remember, dear readers, that God loves us, He fights for us, He longs for us - the real us. He doesn't need a show or for us to come with practiced prayers or perfect attitudes. No, He wants relationship with us....

Just
the
way
we
are.