An Important Reminder...

                                                   God Bless 
                     The Whole World,
                         No Exceptions!

It's as if the pillow spoke to me. We were at Mel's
Nursery and as I circled around I couldn't forget the message I read. It seemed as if God had put that message there, on that pillow, just for me. 

I badly need the reminder.

At the time I was struggling with the behavior of 
a young man who had hurt our family, his behavior
almost unspeakable. I knew it was God's job to judge, not mine. It didn't matter. My heart was full of hurt and resentment.

I didn't need a pillow, just any pillow, but perhaps
this pillow would act as a reminder of an important life-lesson. Its message might jog my heart when it started to harden toward people who had hurt my loved ones.

I bought that pillow and it is staring at me right this very minute. 

Good thing. It's message is straight and clear...
    God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions!

That's right... NO exceptions! No one is left out of being blessed by God!!

My word for 2016 is "light." That word has so many meanings and reminders for me.

Jesus is the light of the world!
I want to let my little light shine!
Let the light come in to scare away the darkness!

My little light can't really shine if my heart has resentment in it. That's just how it is. 

My human heart, when I turn to God, reminds me to "love one another as I have loved you." It reminds me that God is blessing the whole world, no exceptions.

One of the things I love the most about Lent is that it helps me to get back on track. God asks me to look at my own heart and to let Him in, fully. Into every inch, every crevice.

He reminds me that there are no exceptions to His love and forgiveness and there should be no exceptions to mine either.

Tall order for us humans. To love everyone, even those who have hurt us, just like God loves us.

I'm pretty darn sure that the only way that will happen is because of God's grace and endless patience with me.

And I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father loves me with a love that is endless and not dependent on
me perfectly getting all of His lessons for my life. Yet He is here, with me and with those I struggle with, through it all. Whether we are loving or we mess up.
He never leaves us or forsakes us.

And I am grateful for Lent, as hard as some of the learnings are. Lent is opening my heart so God's light can shine through me.

Just as spring is coming to Spokane, and flowers are beginning to bud and blossom, there can be a new beginning and light in my heart.

God is not done with me yet, and I am grateful.

God Bless!
Love, Linda