unconditional love

These two words have clutched my heart and mind for the past 10 months.  Sometimes just saying them to myself with no reflection, and often times sitting to contemplate what they mean in my own life.  And, this past week I was given the privilege to view unconditional love manifested before me.

I've been reading and embracing that Christ's love for me has nothing to do with me.  For so long I thought this love had to do with my behavior -- acting correctly, saying or doing the right things, not saying or doing the wrong things.  But I'm vividly seeing this is not the case, and I was mistaken for many years.  Christ came to love those that are full of sin (Romans 5:8, or all of Romans, or the entire Bible) and whose behavior is as I've come to label it, a "hot mess."  And, yes, that's me.  I'm the hot mess.  It's been freeing to receive love that is one-way -- from God to me.  Love despite myself -- completely separate from my behavior.  I'm speaking of grace.


Katie and Chris have always been dear to me.  I have watched their relationship develop, grow, and mature from our high school years until today.  But as I watched them LOVE Hallie these past 10 months I have, in a more deeper and more profound manner, understood God's love to us.  Despite Hallie's condition, appearance, behavior and lack of reciprocation she has been DEEPLY loved by her family.  She didn't have to DO anything.  She didn't have to BE somebody.  She was who she was and that was enough.  

Katie and Chris, our friendship is a treasure.