Advent: Love

"For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose."

Galatians 2:19-21, ESV

Do you know why I love Squirrel?

Let's start with all of the reason that don't contribute to my love of Squirrel:

I don't love him because he never licks my face at 5am causing me to have a heart attack.

I don't love him because he never makes a mess of my house, leaving fur everywhere.

I don't love him because he never has more energy than I want to deal with when company comes over.

I don't love him because he never gets overexcited when he sees other dogs while on the leash.

I don't love him because he's never stolen food off the coffee table.

I don't love him because he's never chewed something he shouldn't have.

...I love Squirrel because he is mine. I love him when all 65lbs of him tries to curl up on my lap, and I love him when I'm chewing him out for pulling a paper towel out of the trash and shredding it (in fairness, it did have bacon grease on it. Heck, I was half-tempted to pull it out of the trash myself).

Every once in a while, I feel like I have this whole following God-thing down. I feel connected to Him during my prayer time, I feel His prompting and respond the first time, I speak kindly to someone when I'd rather be angry.

But that is very much the exception, not the rule. I am so unbelievably grateful that my Savior loves me at my best, and gives His life up for me at my worst. He gave up His divinity for ME to become a helpless infant in the most humble of birthing rooms.

In a week where I feel like I've been sticking not one, but two feet in my mouth, I rest in this truth:

Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

For the manager tells me so.

For the cross proves it's so.