I don't like it when you're sad.
I don't like it when you're hurting.
I don't like it when you're depressed.
I don't like it when you're just in a bad mood, with reason or without.
Why can't we all just be happy all the time?
Says me.
I have my two parents who love each other. A real home. Some of the best friends and relationships I could ask for. Mentors who I can go to with my troubles, large or small. Minimal drama.
But I know something we both have. You and me. And everyone else. It's enough to make us happy. We can all be happy.
We have love.
Maybe you don't know that. Or maybe you do but you don't want to accept it.
Accept it.
I'm sure you have a list of excuses why you can't... But forget all of those excuses for a second. I don't care if you don't get that love from your parents or grandparents or friends or siblings or boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife...
It's there. Maybe you're blocking it out. Maybe you don't want to feel it. Maybe you're scared to?
You know, sometimes... Coming straight out and saying it just sounds cheesy. I think people say it all the time and don't think twice about it. I think people say it all the time and don't even believe it.
But I believe it. And I want you to, too.
Jesus loves you.
Now, before you write this off as another one of those supposedly encouraging and sentimental posts and stop paying attention, I want you to fully understand this.
He. Loves. You.
I don't want you to think about this like, "Jesus loves everyone."
I want you to pretend you're the only person on earth.
Jesus loves *you*.
"He died not for man but for each man. If each man had been the only man made, He would have done no less." (C.S. Lewis)
The thing is, yeah, He does love everybody. And I could say I love everybody, too. But I'm human and imperfect... And I've never even encountered the vast majority of human beings on the earth.
But Jesus... Is God... And He knows each of the seven billion people on earth... I'm not going to say "by name" because a name is so trivial. I know a lot of peoples names... but I don't really know *them*.
God knows each of the seven billion people on earth... And He knows them... by heart.
And if there were seven billion more, He would know their hearts, too. And He would love them. Each one. Individually. Like they were the only person on earth. Just like He loves me. Just like He loves you.
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I'm reading AW Tozer's "The Radical Cross" with my group. He's not my all-time favorite author, but last week's chapter I underlined one line. "What a joy to discover that God is not mad at us and that we are His children." Sadly, a lot of people are quite certain that God IS mad at them...(they have believed a lie). That said, emotions are tricky, and so everyone will most likely be depressed at some time for some reason...or for no reason. Loved or unloved. Sometimes the best plan is to simply wait it out, and keep on doing the next thing...trying to remember that, "Weeping may endure for a night...but JOY comes in the morning."
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