Great Big Bear Hug

Have you ever wanted a great big bear hug?  I think part of the reason I married Zine was because he gives the best hugs!!  I used to tell him that all the time!  I need to work on telling him that more!!  Because despite MS, Zine can still hug me and bring a calmness like no one else can!  I sure do love that guy!!  And I sure do love his hugs!  

I  love this bear hug picture with the gigantic teddy bear and Chloe! It gives me a beautiful picture of being loved, cared for, and protected.  When Chloe was sitting here, those were some of the thoughts that came to my mind.  We are in a strange place and dealing with strange doctors and this place inside the arms of a gigantic teddy bear brought comfort, love, and protection.  Sounds a lot like what God does for us.  I'm wondering if I'm the only person here who has struggled with understanding God's love for us.  

If I'm not perfect, then God will not love me.  Surely no one else has bought that lie before.  But actually I bet you have because I have. I'm the good Christian girl.  I was raised in the church and other than a few rebellious moments, I was a good girl as well!  So if I have struggled with that concept I bet others have too.  Why in the world do we put such tough expectation upon ourselves?  The truth is God is love!  1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love! So why in the world if God is love would I question that He would not love me if I am not perfect. Romans 8:39 tells me that neither height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God is love and I can never be separated from His love!  

But even with those truths, I still struggle with God loving me.  I thought I understood what love was!  When I birthed babies and raised children, I thought I got a better glimpse of what love looked like.  But when life fell apart, I think I came to realize I really didn't know what God loving me really looked like.   Or rather maybe I struggle to know how to allow God to love me.

God's used a crazy Santa in a parking lot to teach me a bit more about His love for me.  And now, He's used a gigantic teddybear to teach me even a bit more about His love for me.

If I could feel that same comfort, protection, care and love in the arms of Jesus who reaches down and gives me that great big bear hug,  that is represented here in this teddy bear... I think Jesus is there ready to do exactly that.  I'm still struggling to figure out how to accept.  Hmmmm....must be part of the transformation happening in my life!