Jesus Loves Me, This I Know...

So, I wanted to make good on my comment about my children yesterday. I did, indeed, kiss the face off of my sweet baby AJ. I told my Aidan Mike how proud we are of him and his effort in mastering the Royal Throne. I also made sure to tell Ms. Ashlyn how much I love her. Then, I asked her if she knows who loves her even more. With a inquisitive look on her face, the conversation took a slightly more serious turn...

Who loves me more than you, Momma?

Jesus does! I exclaimed. (I wrongly assumed the conversation would end here)

Does He love me more than this? She stretched out her arms beyond her reach.

Even more! I excitedly replied.

Do you love me this much? She asked while holding her hands out in front of her, cupping them as if she were holding a small puppy.

Ashlyn, I love you more than this! I stretched out my arms as wide as I could and gave her a hug.

She moved away from me, stood silent for a moment and then asked, How much does Jesus love me?

And...she stumped me.

This is the first of many, many questions that she will ask that I will not be able to answer. But this was not a "Why is the sky blue?" question. That is something I personally can't explain because of my limited knowledge of science and space. If she ever asks me, I'll tell her to come to the computer and we can Google it together!

This question is unanswerable because there is not a word in the human vocabulary, or a sight we can view with our limited vision, or a sound that could be beautiful enough to communicate the love of Jesus. To explain to my sweet daughter, at the tender age of four, that Jesus loves her so much that He gave His life for her would only puzzle her more. (Trust me, she is fully aware that He was on the cross, and was bleeding (she reminds me of this often), and that He was not in the "cave" after three days. Thank you Vacation Bible School!)

Honestly, I don't think at 31 years old I can get my mind around this fact. He DIED for me. He willingly went through absolute agony so I can have the opportunity to reside with Him in Heaven. Who am I? What am I willing to do to show His love to others? I'm not even willing to let someone get in front of me in line at Wal-mart because I'll be stuck in the store for an extra 5 minutes!

Here I am...the maggot that deserves nothing. He loves me when I'm sharing His life with others and He loves me when I'm yelling at my husband. He loves me when I'm smiling, and loves me when my face is hot from frustration. He loves me even when I turn my back on Him. He loves me through it all.

But...you don't have to take my word for it...Stellan's Story

Thank you, Lord for loving me....this much.

Ephesians 3:18-19
"...together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."