Everson’s Uncle Dan and Aunt Kristin bought him The Jesus Storybook Bible when I was pregnant. It was before we even knew “Baby Theo” was a boy! This book is a treasure to us and we try to read a story from it each night to E before bed. We are going through it cover to cover and are already on our 2nd time through.
What I love about this book is that every story points to the Gospel, to the fact that Jesus was crucified on our behalf because He loves us with a “never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.” We are broken and make mistakes every day (at least I know I do) but Jesus came as our Rescuer and offers us hope and a new life with Him.
Romans 5:8 “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (New Living Translation)
It’s easy for me to look at Everson and to know without a shadow of a doubt that God is crazy in love with him. Simply looking at Everson and holding him is an act of worship for me as I am constantly amazed by the beautiful masterpiece that he is. I am overwhelmed by the fact that God knit this precious boy together inside my womb and now he is here in this big world making it more beautiful each day he is alive. So, yes, it is very easy for me to tell my son that God loves him. He loves him with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.
But…does God love me like that, too? I don’t know about you, but I don’t look at myself and think I am some amazing “masterpiece” that God knit together. And I’m very aware of all of my flaws and shortcomings, which makes it that much more difficult to believe in God’s immense love for me. I think many of us have bought into a lie that we need to be better if we are to actually be worth loving. Yet my son’s little children’s Bible breathes a different story into my ears. These stories remind me that God loves me no matter what I’ve done or who I am. They remind me that Jesus is my Rescuer. That He gave up everything to come to earth and to die as a sacrifice for all of my messed up stuff. So as I continue to read this book to Everson at bedtime, my hope and prayer is that we both embrace the beautiful promise that God loves each of us with a never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever love.
Jesus rescued me, so I am worthy and I am loved. Jesus rescued you, so you are worthy. And you are so very loved.
Romans 8:37-39 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death, nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (New Living Translation)
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