A Love that Surrounds

Hey my sweet friends!

Hope you've all had a great Labor Day weekend. Mine was great...I was able to spend some good time with good friends and family and am a little sad that it's back to work tomorrow! :) I realize that I just sent out an update email a few days ago, but I needed to share again today. You know me...I'm all about sharing. :)

Today was a day that I just really needed to feel loved and that I'm thought of. I know that sounds crazy because I truly do have an excellent life and KNOW that I'm loved by so many people...but it's just how I felt today. Not because anything in my life is wrong or that I'm upset about anything, I just needed reassurance that I'm valuable. Come on...we all have those days!

My Mom and I were keeping my nephew Luke for most of day today and if anybody makes me feel like I'm loved, it's him. It didn't matter how many hugs or kisses he gave me today though, I still needed something more to make my heart less heavy. Around 4:30 this afternoon, Luke still had not taken a nap and was very tired...and I was tired of him being tired! :) I decided that I'd put him in his stroller and that we'd go for a walk around the block, in hopes that he would fall asleep. About 10 minutes into our walk, I started singing "Jesus Loves Me" to him. I don't know how many of you know this about me but a while back I decided that anytime I saw a red bird, that I would choose to take that as a reminder of God's unfailing love for me. A little cheesy, I know. But don't forget who's talkin' here! Anyway, as I got to the part of "Jesus Loves Me" that says, "Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. Yes! Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.", I saw a little red bird perched up in a tree. I'm sure when I saw the bird that my voice probably kept getting louder and louder as I was singing "YES!! Jesus loves me!" I didn't care. I serve a big God and I knew that this was Him saying to me today, "Yes! I love you with an everlasting love and you ARE valuable to me!" But as great as that is, it doesn't end there.

Luke was a champ and fell asleep on our walk despite my loud singing. I brought him in from our walk and layed him on a pallet that I'd fixed up for him in our spare bedroom. I sat in my favorite chair and just watched him sleep for a few minutes. I cried as I watched him sleep - just thinking of how blessed I am and how the Lord's favor in my life has been so sweet. (Can you imagine what I'll be like with my own child? Scary!)

I picked up my Bible study book and began to have my quiet time for the day and the title of my lesson today was "A Love that Surrounds". Couldn't be more fitting, huh? I thought so too. The main passage of scripture was Psalm 125:2, "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, the Lord surrounds His people now and forever." I love the picture that this painted for me today. Just like the mountains surrounded and protected Jerusalem, God's presence surrounds me from every direction! As I read today, "nothing can close in on me without closing in on Him first. He alone can be both the watchman and the wall." God knows that even though He's always with me and always surrounding me, that I'm still going to have moments like I had today - a heavy heart. The fact that His Word tells me that He is "near to the broken hearted and binds up their wounds" shows me that there will be situations in life that will be crushing. Passages that speak of His great deliverance prove that there will be things to be delivered from. I realize that sometimes it's necessary to go through some tough days to continue developing my relationship with Him, allowing Him to prove Himself faithful to me through the process. I'm learning that it's ultimately a matter of trusting Him to be Who He says He is. My trust in Him was magnified today. Thank you, Jesus, for loving us like you do and for surrounding us with Your great love.

Love y'all!
Meredith