We’ve all heard the saying “Jesus loves you”, but probably didn’t think much of it.  You may have rolled your eyes at the blanket statement, but the thing many don’t realize is that there is so much depth to that statement.  People aren’t saying “God loves you” for fun, they are saying that statement because God really does love you.  The people who are saying “God loves you” are compelled to tell you that because they have felt God’s very love for themselves.  When you feel and know the love of God, it compels you to share that love.  “For Christ’s love compels us.” 2 Corinthians 5:14 And that is exactly what this post is about- to share a personal story of God’s love, so that you too may feel and know God’s love for yourself.  

I wonder how different each of our lives would be if we actually believed that God loves us.  Not just that he loves you, but that he very specifically, very personally, and very intimately loves you. The truth is, God really does love us that much.  He knew you before you even entered the womb. He specifically detailed you and intended for you, which is so special.  He wanted you.  With that, I need to share this story displaying God’s love with you, in hopes that it not only encourages you, but someone else who may need it.  If you’re living your life and rarely thinking about God, I’d like to challenge you when reading this story.  How would you live your life differently in not just knowing God loves you, but truly believing in your depths that God loves you?  What if this was you in the story, would it change your thoughts of the reality of God and how deep his love for you is?  

In early December, I was on a run along the river in our town on a Monday afternoon.  This doesn’t happen often during the week since my husband works outside the home, but this specific day, he decided to work from home.  On a typical run, I turn left on the river to head to one town, but this time I decided to turn right, given the better running conditions.  If you turn left, you enter Town A and if you turn right, you enter Town B, irregularly, I chose to run towards Town B.  I opted for a “prayer run”, which consists of me not using headphones and simply just praying and talking to God while I run.  As I’m running, my uncle came into my mind.  My uncle, whom I haven’t seen and sadly hadn’t thought much about in years, came to my mind.  It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives with young kids, school, work, the house, sports, etc. While the excuse isn’t a good one, it becomes many of our realities.  Now before you go thinking that it’s normal for your aunt or uncle to pop in your head, I need to mention that I have many uncles, so this specific uncle coming to mind isn’t a normal occurrence.  My uncle again popped into my head and I felt God say “call your mom and ask for your uncle’s address”… My first thought was “why?”… I then felt God say again, “Call your mom and ask for your uncle’s address.  Go to his house and talk to him about Jesus”. Upon hearing this, I thought to myself, “Okay God, I’ll ask my uncle to join us on Christmas”.  Funny how easily we change God’s commands to better suit our comfort, right?  That’s exactly what I was doing.  I was changing God’s command to go to my uncle’s house to better suit my comfort level.  It’s easier to ask someone to come to Christmas, than it is to share with them about Jesus and what He’s done in your life.  I thought it was odd how very specific and very loud I felt God telling me to ask for my uncle’s address, but embarrassingly, I just ignored what I heard because I had a fear that it was just my own crazy thought that came to mind.  “My uncle’s going to think I’m nuts if I do that”… so I finished up my run and concluded that I will invite my uncle to Christmas this year.  

The very next morning, my mom called me on her way to the hospital.  “Your uncle is in the hospital.” I immediately felt a sinking feeling in my heart and gut… “I did hear God ” Less than 24 hours ago, it was God who spoke to me. I felt immensely guilty at that moment.  What happened to my uncle? Was God trying to tell me to go to his house to save him? What if I acted when God told me to and didn’t wait? Is my uncle okay? Did I disobey?  I felt fearful and sad at the same time.  My mom had informed me that my uncle suffered a severe stroke, but in God’s great grace and mercy, his neighbor found him, called 911 and saved him.  Following hearing that, I couldn’t stop thinking about God trying to intervene for my uncle.  God placed my uncle on my mind, told me to get his address and go to his house. I heard God’s command very clearly, but I doubted his voice.  I still wonder what would have happened if I did go that afternoon, but am so grateful for God giving us more time with my uncle.  I then asked my mom, “where does he live anyways?” (given God told me to ask for his address) … my mom replied with “on the river in ________”… the exact river I was running on in the exact town when the thought came to my mind.  My “irregular running route” made more sense to me.  I knew that this was not a coincidence.  The sinking feeling returned.  

The thing that I can’t get over with this story is how very specific God was in all the details.  God uses all the details to get to our hearts, but it’s often us who miss him in the details. We see bad things happen and immediately think “Why God? Why would you let this happen?  Where were you? What kind of god would allow X,Y&Z?”… But what we often don’t see is God’s very intentional intervention in all the details. We often don’t see and hear about how God sends people to intervene… how God never intended for the accident, but God redeemed the very accident.  We don’t see and hear about the people that God met with privately to show up for that person through cancer, how God equipped that other person to be the perfect caretaker for another.  We see the pain, but we have a hard time seeing God through the healing. When I replay the story of what happened to my uncle, all I can see is God’s outpouring of his love.  The love of a father trying to reach his son.  The love of a friend trying to communicate to another friend.  The love of our creator trying to reach his creation through any means.  The love of a patient parent giving their son another chance, more time, even when we ignore Him.  

My biggest takeaway from my uncle’s stroke is this- for as long as you have breath in your lungs, God is still seeking after your heart.  For as long as you are still breathing, God is knocking at the door and waiting, waiting to be welcomed into your heart.  If you are still living, God is still loving you.  My uncle is in his seventies and up until his stroke, didn’t have a relationship with Jesus, but Jesus still wants a relationship with my uncle.  Jesus told me to go to my uncle’s house and “share about Jesus” the same day he had a stroke.  I believe God sent me to intervene, to contend for the faith, to share the love of Jesus with my uncle, so that my uncle can have another chance to truly know the love of God. God loves my uncle so much that he has never stopped trying to reach him, despite being rejected or ignored by my uncle.  We all have painful parts of our stories, we all have moments where we wondered if God was real, where he was in our suffering and why he allowed it, but what about all the moments that he’s redeemed and saved us from?  What about all those moments where he gave us more time because he doesn’t want to live in eternity without us there?  We often get angry at God for letting that person die, but what we miss is seeing the many moments where God actually tried to intervene for that person.  We miss God in the details.  

I can confidently say that God loves you. God loves you so much, that he sent Jesus to die for you and I, because he knew we’d continually fall short over and over again.  Christmas is the greatest reminder of God’s love for us.  God loves us so much, that he willingly lowered himself to a baby in a manger, humbled himself to humanity, and died on the cross for each of our sins.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

My plea to you is not to wait.  Don’t wait until you have a stroke to accept Jesus. Don’t wait until someone gets sick to share who Jesus is with them. Don’t wait until the crisis to learn more about God’s love.  If you’re reading this, God’s seeking your heart and I’m so confident of that.  God loves you so much.  God has given my uncle more time.  He’s unable to speak at full capacity right now (limited to yes, no, and a few other words), but I believe he’s comprehending more than we can ever understand ourselves.  Because God has given him more time, I’ve been able to share with him the Gospel and the love of Jesus.  I don’t know what’s next in store for my uncle or the rest of us, but I do know God’s love for him and you.  I felt and saw how much God loves my uncle and I believe God wanted me to be a witness to that. So I’ll leave you with one of the most repeated statements, yet profound statements you’ll ever hear… Jesus loves you!