The Overwhelming Love Of Our Lord

One thing about this semester of college is that it has been the most overwhelming semester of my life. So many things are being thrown at me and it feels like I don't have enough paper in my agenda to cope with it all. That being said, I have been able to handle it well, but so many other things have been lacking because of this busyness. Specifically my relationship with the Lord and my life outside of school. Sometimes it's a checklist for me; I don't truly give my devotion at nighttime and understand that this is my holy moment to connect with God and learn more about His goodness and how much He loves us. God still loves me despite not being the perfect child or living without sin. He forgives and loves me like no one else on earth ever will and it's overwhelming.

What I mean by that is we will never be able to understand why He loves us. We sin ever single minute of the day and the fact that it is there is this love that loves without fail, is new every single morning, and gives without ever thinking of receiving anything is mind blowing because how can someone do something like this. The truth is no one can. The Lord is not human and we as humans will never be able to understand... so stop trying. Someone who knew how to just accept it and move on was Paul. Everything that Paul had done against the Lord should have sent Him directly to live in Hell for eternity. But God decided that Paul was still useful and that He was still capable of being loved like no one else on earth could love him. Jesus used Him to make disciples and did it because He loved Him. There was no shame attached to him anymore, his past actions didn't define him. He was a child of the King and the love of the Lord covered the multitude of sins He had committed previously. He does the same thing for you too.

The Lord owes you nothing. He also doesn't expect anything from you except to accept His gift of love. You don't have to try and earn it, you don't have to be any more or less of yourself, He loves you for you because He created you that way. Stop striving to understand it and break it down, there is nothing to break down because it never ends. You are going to mess up and you're going to fail but your reliance on the Lord is imperative to the survival of your faith. In short your weakness is where your faith begins. Trust that He knows what He's doing. He loves you despite everything so live like you're loved, walk like you're free, and know that His grace covers you every step in an overwhelming way.

May the peace and love of God be with you always,

Leah Carpenter