He Loves Me (and you)

Jayden is my 8 year old "strong willed" child. He's been that way since I can remember. This often times lands him in trouble both at home and school. Well, one day Jayden hesitantly came to me with tears in his eyes because he had gotten into trouble for doing something that he knew he had no business doing. I already knew what he'd done, but I waited for him to come to me. I'm not sure if what he did actually scared him or if it was his Momma's wrath that worried him, but I saw fear in his eyes as tears poured from his little face. He seemed embarrassed and ashamed of himself. He attempted to muster up the right words to explain himself and apologize in between choppy sentences, squeals and deep breaths. After the response I provided him did not meet his initial expectations of anger and he was able to calm down, he asked, "Mommy, do you still love me?". My answer was simple. "Of course I still love you Jayden. NOTHING in this world could ever make me stop loving you. NOTHING!". I went on to explain to him that sometimes I may be upset or disappointed in his behavior and actions because I know that he is capable of doing better but that doesn't change my love for him. My children mean the absolute world to me. I carried each of them for 9 long, hard months. Before they were even physically present in the world, I loved them. 2 C-sections; one emergency and one scheduled. If you know anything about pain, you know that my body endured a lot of changes before, during and after childbirth. People say that childbirth is the closest that a woman gets to death... and I believe that! I've been to every single doctor's appointment. I take off of work for every illness. I go to almost every school and sports event. I am the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny all wrapped into one. A single kiss of my lips on a "boo boo" makes it all better. Every thing I do, I do for my children. The love that I have for them is immeasurable and without condition. And although they don't realize it yet, I know them extremely well and I'm watching God work in their little lives. Sometimes we forget that God feels this same way, if not deeper for us. There were so many times in my life when I felt like I had really messed up and couldn't fix it. Times when I felt like I had disappointed God to the point that I was outside of His love and safety. But thank goodness that the devil is a liar! He already knows our failures and disappointments, He's simply waiting for us to come to him. Broken, ashamed, hurt... He has the power to heal all of that. He's not angry or seeking to punish us, His love is too strong. The pain that His one and only son Jesus endured on the cross already paid for our sins (John 3:16, Isaiah 53:5). Is there a love greater than this? My former pastor used to say all of the time that it is impossible to out sin the love of God. And I'm glad about it! From the crown of my head to soles of my feet, He loves me. When I'm right or when I'm wrong, He loves me. Through triumphs and failures, He loves me. In spite of all of my wrong doings, He loves me. He knew me and loved me even before my Earthly existence. And He will love me until the end of time. The same is true for each of you. He loves us. Unconditionally. And there's nothing we can do to change that.