Have y’all seen those videos about the glasses that help those who have Color Blindness see color? They get me every time. I mean, I get choked up, nearly to the point of tears. (Spoiler: I’m NOT colorblind). In fact, I only know one person that is colorblind. (Hi, TT!) (Well, I may know more, but I don’t know that they’re colorblind so they’re not included in my count…I digress). Anyway, if you haven’t seen these videos on the web yet, I’ll wait….here’s a link:
Am I right? Amazing! You almost FEEL the rush of emotion these people are feeling, right? Can you imagine, going your whole life and not seeing color…then one fine day someone is like, “Here, put these on. Yup, it’s that simple.” Not, like getting regular glasses because you know that trees have individual leaves, or that those squiggly lines on the rectangle on the car bumpers are likely letters and numbers, or that the squiggly line on the book are words. Now, it’s not like those who are colorblind, don’t know that things are different colors, they just have no idea what it actually looks like. Seeing something for the VERY first time is what I’m talking about here.
I’ve been a Christian since the mid 1990’s. I’ll talk to anyone who will listen, about God’s love for them. About the fact that they don’t have to earn that love. Somehow, that unconditional love didn’t translate as being for me too. Despite preaching about His unconditional love to everyone I came in contact with, I wasn’t claiming that love for myself. Then one day, I got a pair of corrective glasses, from one of my absolutely dearest friends, Sage (Not her real name, by the way). I was talking to her about how I’d always felt like I had to DO one thing or another in order to be accepted, due to rejection. (Whether the rejection was real or perceived, is irrelevant. ) I had to lose more weight, study more, style my hair more, wear more makeup, clean more, earn more, save more, spend more etc. I had to DO MORE because I was not enough, just as I was. In that conversation it came to light that I had made that “DO” fallacy, my truth for my God. Sage, lovingly reminded me of what is now my new life verse:
Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sage told me that I didn’t have to do anything to receive that love, and that there was nothing I could do to lose that love. WHAT?!?! You mean, all the times I “screwed up” had no bearing on His infinite, unconditional love for me? No! He won’t take His love away, if I mess up? Nope! You mean, that even though, I’ve not read the whole Bible cover-to-cover, that He still loves me as much as the theologian who has read the Bible cover-to-cover multiple times? Yes! WHAT?! That’s Crazy!!!!! Even if I DO NOTHING?! Yup! Just be still…This was revolutionary! I could see for the very first time just how much He loves me. I’d read that verse before, but it wasn’t real for me. For the first time…I could SEE!!!! I was like the people in those videos for the colorblind glasses. The rush of emotion I felt in that moment was overwhelming! I wanted to run outside and scream it to the whole neighborhood. I wanted to go door to door and say, “DID YOU KNOW?! God’s love is not a ‘DO’ love?!” I wanted everyone in the world to know! I could hardly contain myself. As soon as I got in my car I called my best friend, my husband, and told him. He knew, already. I then called another friend, JD, and told her. She knew too! I was thrilled for them, that they knew. I was even more thrilled for myself, for I finally knew too! I literally, cried tears of joy! A huge area of my faith was finally visible thanks to new vision.
That’s my story, what’s yours? Did YOU know God loves you?! Just the way you are. Are there areas of your faith, that you may need new glasses for?
Own Your Story 